


Sugared Ice

by Arcane_Mysteries (HarlequinWantsToWrite)



Category: Charmed (TV 2018)
Genre: Angst, F/F, F/M, Face Slapping, Fluff, Fluffcember2019, Gen, Mentions of Inter-personal/partner violence (IPV), Multiple Mythologies, PTSD, Spoilers Season 2, Stabbing, Time Travel, Trauma/trauma responses, mostly light but will talk about trauma, tropes for the sake of tropes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-09
Updated: 2020-01-11
Packaged: 2021-02-26 16:20:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 41,702
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21731161
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HarlequinWantsToWrite/pseuds/Arcane_Mysteries
Summary: Starts immediately after episode 2x08. Spoilers for first half of season 2.Macy deals with her complicated feelings for Harry and the Darklighter. Mel makes a new friend? Maggie is awesome. Gods come out to play. Everyone goes on an adventure to get their powers back. This started as a Fluffcember fic, and then a wild plot bunny appeared and it went off the rails!Friendship, Romance, Adventure, Mystery, Fluff, Angst, Dark Humor... a little bit of everything awaits ...
Relationships: Harry Greenwood/Macy Vaughn, Other?maybe?
Comments: 96
Kudos: 98





	1. "Hold Me?"

Chapter One: "Hold Me?"

The WitchBoard had been quiet for days following Parker's unexpected attack on SafeSpace Seattle. Macy sat at the desk, eyes sweeping the globe, begging for a red dot to appear anywhere on the screen. She needed something to fight; something to throw a punch or a fireball at. Something to take her anger and pain out on that wasn't her Whitelighter's face.

Macy took a deep, shaky breath in and released it slowly. She hadn't told anyone what she'd seen that night in the command center. It was like some cosmic joke. She'd waited too long. Again. First Galvin; now Harry. What was that saying? Those that don't learn from the past are doomed to repeat it? Macy knew she really shouldn't be angry at him for kissing someone else; he didn't know how she felt... but Abigael Caine? After all the-

"Self-Righteous bullsh... No," Macy muttered to herself, shaking her head and pulling her SafeSpace hoodie tighter around herself. "I'm not gonna... uh-uh."

"Not going to what?" Mel asked, coming down the stairs with two coffees.

"Oh," Macy said, shrugging a little too enthusiastically. "I was just debating if I should touch the sap, but... after what happened when I tried to touch the Book of Elders, I'm not so sure it's the best idea. At least, not until you've gotten a handle on your new power. I mean, what if it knocks me out of commission? Or worse? Gives me some crazy power I can't control? Then we're really screwed."

"Oh, yeah," Mel nodded, setting one of the coffees in front of Macy, who readily grabbed it to warm her hands. "Good point."

Mel sat down beside Macy and looked at the map for a moment.

"Still nothing? Why are the demons so quiet all of the sudden? What's going on?"

"I don't know," Macy replied. "Maybe it's Parker's death. Maybe they've turned on each other? Internal power struggle?"

"Is it too much to hope they've just forgotten about witches entirely?" Mel said, before rolling her eyes. "Yeah, I know. Forget I said that. Harry-"

"Do-" Macy started, but before she got the word out, Harry had already materialized in the command center in response to Mel's call.

Mel cut a sideways glance at Macy and raised an eyebrow, silently saying, "Okay, sis, you are telling me what that's about later."

"Yes, Mel?" Harry asked, smiling. "Macy," he nodded a hello in her direction.

"Harry, I was wondering if we could do some training with my new powers?" Mel asked.

"Oh!" Harry nodded approvingly. "Excellent idea, Mel! Very proactive. I shall fetch the training orb right away!"

While it was nice to see some of his old enthusiasm back, Macy couldn't help but be suspicious about where that enthusiasm was coming from. Was it really training? Sure he loved teaching, but- 

"Actually," Mel said, interrupting Macy's thoughts. "I was thinking we could kill two birds with one stone? Maybe do some training and some recon? Try and figure out why the demons are being so... quiet lately?"

"Melonie Vera," Harry chided. "That could be extremely dangerous. Molecular Manipulation is extremely powerful, not to mention conspicuous. Not exactly the sort you want to practice on a covert mission."

"But..." Mel said, looking like she was doing her best Maggie impression. "You took Macy on an undercover mission with a new, untested power. Remember?"

"Well..." Harry said, sputtering. "That was entirely different. We were rescuing someone in imminent danger."

"Are you saying not knowing what the demons are up to isn't an imminent threat, Harry?" Macy asked, her tone icy. It was the first time she had spoken to him since the incident. Not that he knew there was an incident.

His eyes snapped up to meet hers. Their gaze held for a moment, and it felt like the ice they'd been skating on for weeks cracked just a bit more. They'd always been a team. A united front. Now they were splintering apart, and Macy wondered if he could feel each shard of ice pierce his heart as intensely as she felt it pierce hers. She saw it in his eyes when he walled another piece of himself off from her. He swallowed.

"Of course not. Macy." Harry looked away and to the WitchBoard. "It is an excellent idea, Mel. We can do a scrying spell, see if there is anything that needs our attention, specifically, and we can go investigate. But I do believe it is still best if we practice your new active powers in the training orb before we take them in the field. For the time being, though," he glanced at Macy once more, "perhaps it is best if we do alternate teams now that you do have an active power again. I think we all could use some rest, don't you agree?"

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

It didn't take long for the scrying crystal to land on New York. Mel and Harry exchanged uneasy glances as they orbed just outside Schmitty's bar.

"I don't like this, Mel." Harry said, pulling up the collar on his overcoat. It was still early winter, but the temperature was quite brisk, and besides: he didn't want to risk any locals seeing him and mistaking him for "Jimmy."

"I know, Harry, but... what are the odds?" Mel said, zipping up her own puffy jacket and rubbing her hands together. She glanced at the bright neon bar sign, then back at Harry. "Do you think we should risk going in? Do you think they'd recognize me? Would a glamour work? We could question them... see if they know anything."

"No," Harry said, grabbing Mel's arm to tug her more firmly around the corner. "Much as I'd like the get this over with quickly and get out of the cold, that is far too risky. Our best bet is to surveil the establishment. Wait for a demon we didn't see last time to leave the bar, follow them, and hope that this wasn't the last place they intended to stop for the evening."

"Then we'd also find out another demon hang out in the city we could stake out," Mel said slowly, following Harry's line of thought.

"Exactly," he said.

"Okay," Mel said, pulling a hat and gloves out of her jacket pockets and putting them on. "So, we wait."

"So, we wait."

After about 30 minutes ("Why didn't this happen in the summer?" Mel complained), a lanky demon left the bar on his cell phone and began walking towards the Williamsburg Bridge.

"Do you think he's going to walk all the way to Williamsburg?" Mel whispered to Harry.

Harry held a finger to his lips to shush her. Mel gave him a sour look as they continued to follow the demon on foot as silently as they could. It soon became obvious the demon did not appear to be getting on the bridge, but rather, he was walking parallel to it. Eventually, the demon began to slow in front of a small grove adjacent to a senior center, and Harry nodded for Mel to duck into a small alcove nearby.

"relatus amplificatur sonus," Harry whispered, gesturing for Mel to repeat him.

"relatus amplificatur sonus."

Suddenly, Mel could hear every crunch of the demon's boots on the ground. The demon looked around quickly, before placing his hand on a sculpture of a screaming lion with wings and saying, "Kinky Boots," before vanishing.

"Kinky Boots?" Harry said, scrunching up his nose as he turned to look at Mel. "Isn't that the name of a musical? Have the demons taken up Off-Broadway?"

"I mean, if that's what we're here to learn, the universe has a twisted sense of humor." Mel said, curling her lip in disgust. "And I definitely want the opposite of an advanced hearing charm before we go in there, just in case."

"Finite Incantatem," Harry said, smiling.

"Isn't that from Harry Potter?"

"If it works, it works."

"True enough. We better drink these glamour potions, too, just to be safe." Mel pulled out two stoppered vials and handed one to Harry. She uncapped hers and lifted it to her lips, quickly swallowing the golden liquid. Within seconds, her features shifted. Now, Mel looked like she was wearing oxblood red leather pants, a matching motorcycle jacket, studded leather boots, and her hair cascaded down her back in waves with chunks of deep red color in it. When she turned to look at Harry, she had to stifle a laugh.

"What?" He asked. The potion had turned his hair and eyes perfectly white, and his hair stood straight up, like he'd stuck his finger in an electrical socket. His clothing had lost all it's color, too, and his lips were practically blue. It was like he had been covered in frost.

"Nothing. It's just... this glamour looks very different than your last one."

"Hmm," his voice took on that academic tone. "They take on a bit of the casters thoughts about the subject. Clearly you are feeling very confident, tonight, Ms. Vera. What does it look like I am feeling?"

"Cold? Colorless? Doused in bleach?" Mel mused.

"Interesting," Harry said softly. "Anyway, best get going."

They crossed the street quickly and made sure they weren't being observed, placed their hands on the statue, and said in unison:

"Kinky Boots." 

Within moments, Harry and Mel found themselves in the middle of a vibrant demonic cabaret. It was dim and smoky, with flashing lights of a variety of colors. Booths were scattered around, with varying degrees of privacy. Some booths were empty, and some had meetings happening. There a main stage, which was currently empty, and several smaller ones that had both men and women half-naked and dancing provocatively while demon watched. 

"Ah," Harry said, clearing his throat. "it appears we were wrong about the kind of kinky."

Just then, a burly Troll approached them.

"Two drink minimum," he said gruffly, nodding toward the bar. He waved a stamp at them. Mel and Harry dutifully lifted their hands and let him stamp them.

"Oh," Harry said, examining the back of his hand with no small amount of glee. "The randy bridge troll. How delightfully whimsical."

"I cannot believe I am at a strip club with my Whitelighter," Mel said, heading toward the bar.

"Are you really getting a drink?" Harry asked, incredulous.

"He said there was a minimum," Mel said, waving her stamped hand at him. "Do you really want to risk these things being spelled?"

"No, I suppose not. Good call."

"Does a double count as my two drinks?" Mel yelled over the music.

"You have to pay for two, so sure, why not." The Troll barkeep nodded.

"Whiskey, double. For me and my friend." Mel tapped two fingers on the bar and the drinks appeared like magic. She placed a stack of bills on the bar to pay, slid one drink over to Harry, and lifted hers in a toast.

"Bottoms up." Mel threw the drink back and winced as it burned going down. Better a little tipsy on the job then indebted to some demon or magical creature. She glanced at Harry as he threw his own drink back.

"Ugh," He said, pulling a face. "Definitely a troll bar. Let's take a look around, shall we?"

"Mmm," Mel agreed, trying not to let her eyes linger too long on the naked women. It had been several months since she had any company of that nature, and Maggie hadn't exactly kept her end of their pact. She bit her lip. Hard.

"Are you okay, Melonie?"

"Fine."

"Do I know you?" A hand reached out, stopping Harry in his tracks. The woman appeared to be an employee of the establishment, and she was scrutinizing him closely.

"No," Harry said awkwardly. "I don't believe you do. This is our first visit here, actually."

"Hmm," she said, pursing her lips. "I swear you look familiar. Not exactly, but something about you..."

"He has a brother," Mel cut it. "Used to live around here. Dark hair and eyes, though. You may be thinking of him. They aren't close, though."

"That's it! Jimmy!" She exclaimed, clapping her hands excitedly. "Oh, you really aren't close, though if you don't know!"

"Don't know?" Harry said cautiously.

"You said he used to live around here," she said, laughing. "He's back in town. Has been for at least a week. I bet he'll come in tonight! The shape shifter is in tonight! Oh my. This is exciting. Should I have you taken to her room to wait for him?"

"No..." Mel said, grabbing Harry's arm and looking at him meaningfully. "That's okay. Like I said, they really aren't close. We'll just stay here until we're ready to leave, and then we'll be on our way."

"Oh, no." The demon dancer said, her eyes glowing red. "I think I'm really going to have to insist on holding Harry until Jimmy gets here."

"Hold me?" Harry said, eyes widening to saucers. "Well, dear lady, I'm terribly afraid I'm going to have to disappoint you." 

With that, Harry wrapped his arms tightly around Mel and orbed out of the cabaret and back to the command center.

__________________________________________________________

When the two landed in the command center, Macy and Maggie were both there to greet them. The panicked look on their faces was enough to put both sisters on high alert.

"What's wrong?" Macy said, wanting to rush to Harry, but staying where she was.

"So... Big News." Mel said, face almost as pale as Harry's. "Jimmy's Alive."


	2. First Snow

Chapter Two: First Snow

"Is that what we always looked like using the training orb?" Maggie asked, gesturing toward Mel, who was currently standing in the middle of the command center, eyes glazed over and swaying slightly. "Ew."

Harry rolled his eyes. After learning of his Darklighter's return, it became more imperative than ever that Mel master her new active powers as quickly as possible, so she'd been training constantly in the days that followed. Macy and Harry had both been taking turns helping out at Spellbound Botanica during the day to give her more time to work and rest.

"Really, Maggie," Harry said, trying to keep his tone light. "It doesn't look all that different than when you're using the Snapchat or the TikTok; just less grinning."

"The Snapchat," Maggie said with emphasis on "The" and a little head shake. "You are such a Grandpa, Har."

Maggie pulled her phone out of her pocket to check the time, and Harry waved his hand towards her as if to say, "you're just proving my point."

"Hey, Harry. It's almost 4. Macy'll be closing up the shop in an hour or so. Should we go pick up something for dinner for everyone?"

Harry was glad for the moment that his back was to the youngest Vera. He wasn't sure what had shifted between them or when, but it had been clear since the ill-fated wedding that Macy was avoiding him. Truth told, maybe it was mutual. All they seemed to do lately was fight, and that was the last thing he wanted. It was like touching a raw nerve. And ever since... ugh. Harry pinched the bridge of his nose, not wanting to think about kissing Abigael. It felt like a betrayal of trust, on many levels. While he couldn't say he didn't enjoy it in the moment, and there were certainly much worse ways to have to repay a debt to a demon, thinking about it now sent a wave of guilt crashing through him that he felt every time he caught Macy's eye. It was ridiculous, but he could swear she knew.

"Yes, excellent idea," he said, turning to Maggie. "Did you have anything in particular in mind?"

"No," Maggie said, grabbing her fuzzy cheetah-print coat and starting up the stairs. "Let's ask Swan. Hey, do you think it's weird that she never takes a day off?"

"I'm sure she takes days off," Harry said. He scribbled a quick note to Mel to let her know where they were going in case she came out of the training orb before they got back, then grabbed his own overcoat and followed her out of the command center.

SafeSpace Seattle was it's usual bustling mini-metropolis, and Harry and Maggie found Swan near the Cafe holding a small tray of cups with peppermint sticks in them. She smiled warmly and offered the tray to them.

"Cup of Comfort Hot Cocoa?" Swan asked.

"Sure, Swan." Maggie said, taking two of the proffered cups and handing one to Harry, who took it and lifted it in a gesture of thanks. "Hey, Swan, we were just about to head out to get food for my sisters, but we don't know what we want. Any suggestions?"

"Oh, gosh," Swan pursed her lips thoughtfully. "You know, someone told me it is supposed to snow today, so you probably want something warm and..." she raised her cocoa tray again. "Comforting." She giggled a little at her own joke before continuing. "You know, Jojo says there is a pretty good Vietnamese restaurant not far from here. You could get some Pho."

"Ah," Harry said, "Perfect! Thank you, Swan."

"No problem," she said, before taking her tray to offer cocoa to someone else.

Maggie already drained her cocoa and had the name of the restaurant and directions pulled up on her phone. She was bouncing lightly as she looked at Harry. She was acting oddly cheerful considering all she'd been through lately. He hoped she had not tried some other spell on herself, like she'd done the last time Parker had broken her heart.

"Are you feeling okay, Maggie?" He asked carefully, setting his cocoa, untouched, on the cafe counter.

"It's going to snow, Harry." Maggie said, smiling fondly, lacing her arm through his. "Our first snow in Seattle. Aren't you excited?"

Sometimes, Harry forgot just how young Maggie really was. Her enthusiasm for such a simple thing warmed his heart, easing his worry. He smiled broadly at his young friend; no, his family. Moments like this made all the pain worth enduring.

"Indeed I am, Ms. Vera. Lead the way."

________________________________________________________________________ 

The first flakes began to fall as they were making their way back to SafeSpace with their bags of takeout. Maggie grinned. She tilted her head back and opened her mouth, caught a bit of snow on her tongue and giggled. Her cheeks were rosy-pink from the cold. She looked over at Harry, then threw her arms wide, spinning in a circle (carefully, so she didn't spill any of their food).

"I've always loved snow!" She said with a sigh. "When I was little, Mel told me that Santa was up there shaving bits off the clouds for me, like a giant Snow Cone." Maggie's smile turned wistful at the memory.

Harry chuckled, imagining the young Vera sisters playing in the snow in Michigan; Marisol standing in the doorway with a cup of tea watching them. His thoughts drifted to Macy, wondering what childhood stories she might have; if there were other children she played with, or if it was just her and Dexter Vaughn. Apparently Maggie's thoughts were similar.

"I wish Macy had been there with us, then," she pressed her lips together, expression growing sad. "We'll make new memories, though."

"Yes," Harry agreed. "You will."

It didn't take long for the pair returned to the Command Center. Macy wasn't back yet, even though it was 6 o'clock, so Maggie headed back up to SafeSpace to check SpellBound Botanica while Harry pulled Mel from her training.

Harry and Mel were setting the food out on the table in the Command Center when Maggie returned, looking confused.

"The shop is closed," she said. "Macy wasn't there. I checked with Swan, and she said she left early; came back down here a little while after we left."

"That's weird," Mel said, nibbling on a spring roll. "Her stuff isn't here. Do you think she went back to the house?"

"I can check," Harry said, orbing away. He was back moments later. "She's not at home. It's possible she came down and saw something on the WitchBoard..." he muttered, wandering over and bringing up the map. "Hmm... it's not zoomed in on any locations."

"There aren't any red dots, either..." Mel continued, before cutting her eyes between Maggie and Harry. "I mean, I'm not sure I should be the one to say this, but... maybe she just needed to take a break? From us? I can't be the only one who's noticed how quiet she's been the past few days."

"No..." Harry said slowly. "I've noticed. But surely she would have said something."

"Not if she just... went to a movie or something," Maggie rolled her eyes, walking away from the WitchBoard and to the table where their food was getting cold. "We don't have to know each other's every move, Har."

"No," Harry said. They didn't. But this didn't feel right. "Are you sure we shouldn't..."

Mel looked a little concerned, too, but she followed Maggie and shook her head slightly. He got the feeling there was something they weren't telling him.

"It's fine, Harry," she said. "I'm sure Macy's just gone off to... over think something. Otherwise, you're right. She would have said something or left a note telling us where she went. If we don't hear from her in a couple of hours, then we worry."

"Okay, if you're sure." Harry most definitely was not sure, but he couldn't trust himself lately, it seemed. He would follow the Vera's lead and wait; hope the uneasiness in the pit of his stomach was just borrowed trouble.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The first of two chapters today. Not sure if I will be able to "catch up;" this was a lot to write at once. But we shall see how long the "muse" holds out.


	3. Blizzard

Chapter Three: Blizzard

Macy stepped through the portal and into the streets of the Lower East Side. She'd seen Maggie and Harry leaving SafeSpace and took the opportunity to sneak away without anyone noticing. Because of the different time zones, it was three hours later in New York, so she wouldn't have to wait too long for The Randy Bridge Troll to open. Hopefully it would give her enough time before the others realized she wasn't in Seattle and came looking for her. When Mel had described how they had found the club, it had been easy enough to search senior centers near Schmitty's and the Williamsburg bridge. From there, Macy would just look for one with a statue matching Mel's description nearby and try the password until it worked. How hard could it be?

Macy pulled her phone out and muttered a quick spell under her breath to help her find a safe place for a witch to wait out two hours in this neighborhood. The search results came back with a small Books and Antiquities shop called Arcane Mysteries.

"Hmm. Open until The Witching Hour," Macy said to herself. "Are these people actually witches, or are they just trying to sound spooky?"

Macy made her way to the tiny shop, which was wedged into the corner between a bakery and an accountant's office. The room was narrow, tall, and stuffed to the brim with packed bookcases. A thin wooden staircase led to a loft crammed with trunks. The back of the shop appeared to house a small apothecary full of dried herbs hanging from the ceiling and lining the walls in glass jars. There was a woman with chin-length dark hair and piercing green eyes sitting behind the counter knitting something with purple yarn. She might have been 40 or ageless, for all Macy could tell. 

"Welcome," she said, waving Macy in. "Are there any mysteries I can help you unravel today?"

"Actually," Macy said, trying not to cringe at that horrible line. "I'm supposed to be meeting someone nearby around midnight? I'm not local, and I'm not familiar with the area. I was really just looking for a place to wait and was hoping you would help a sister witch out?"

The woman's eyes widened just slightly for a moment before narrowing to regard Macy more thoroughly. She tilted her head to the side slightly and clicked her tongue, then set her knitting down on the counter.

"Only if you buy something," she said slowly. "This is still a business. I have to pay rent. Most of the things up front are just tourist junk. The good stuff, I've glamoured to look like junk to the tourists, or I've got it out of their reach. I'll make sure you leave here with something useful, though. I'm Rarity."

"Macy."

"That was either brave or stupid, telling me you were a witch like that," Rarity said as she stepped around the counter. "This part of town is crawling with demons and the darker denizens of the magical community. I might have been all to happy to throw you in the cauldron for dinner."

Macy snorted as she unbuttoned her jacket and took it off, draping it over her arm.

"I cast a spell looking for a safe place to spend a couple hours... I doubt you would have turned up if I was going to end up on the menu."

"You never know," Rarity walked around Macy and locked the front door, flipping the sign from Open to Closed. "Magic can have a twisted sense of humor. Tea?"

"Sure. Oh, well, only if you're making some for yourself anyway."

"It'll help me get a sense of what you need," Rarity said, gesturing for Macy to take a seat in a small upholstered chair in the apothecary. She had a nice little table set up for a tea service.

"Do you do readings here, too?" Macy asked, curious. She set her coat over the back of the chair before taking a seat.

"No," she said, busying herself at the small stove with tea preparations. "Readings are more my siblings thing. It's a family business. I have a... I suppose you would call it a form of psychometry. It's a particular talent for matching people with the perfect object or book. So... yes, I suppose in a way I do readings. Just not like you meant. I read a person and find the object. Sometimes, it is not in the shop, and I go play archeologist. It is a family talent. Hence our vast and ever growing collection." She waved her hand absently around the overstuffed store. "Honestly, this isn't even a 10th of it. The price is often far more than the client can pay, so out payment is the artifact. Here's your tea."

Rarity handed Macy a gorgeous porcelain cup and saucer of steaming reddish tea. A moment later, she set a dishes of cream and sugar on the table, then sat down with her own cup, lifting her eyebrows at Macy expectantly. Macy added a lump of sugar and a dash of milk to her tea and stirred it slowly, giving herself time to process all the information. She lifted the cup to her lips and blew on the liquid to cool it slightly before taking a sip. It was pleasant and earthy; cinnamon, orange peel, and a bit of ginger blended pleasantly with a base tea she couldn't quite identify.

"Well?" Rarity asked quietly. "Thoughts?"

"It's good," Macy said. "tasty."

"Not the tea," Rarity said with a laugh. "The bargain. The ethics of it. Letting me find the perfect object for you. What you need. If it's in the shop right now and you've got the money, you pay me and you spend the time here. If not, I find it and bring it to you. You pay me then, and if you can't afford it, I keep it as my payment."

"We're just talking..." Macy looked around the shop again, "things like what you've got in here? The books, herbs, crystals, jewelry?"

"And more things in the loft and everything that lies beyond that door, but yes."

"I mean, I don't see the harm. Sure." Macy shrugged, finishing her tea.

"Wonderful!" Rarity said, beaming. "Then we have a deal?" She extended her hand across the table for Macy.

"Uh, sure. We have a deal." Macy grabbed Rarity's hand to shake it, but Rarity grabbed hold to clasp it firmly, reaching her other hand up to grasp Macy's hand as well. Macy tried to pull back, but Rarity's grip was firm, her eyes squeezed shut and eyebrows furrowed.

Then, just like that, Rarity released her.

"Huh," she said, eyes wide and mouth ajar. "That's a new one."

"What is it?" Macy asked, pulling her hand back and rubbing it with her other one. She looked down and was shocked to find it was slightly red.

"Macy Vaughn," Rarity said, her green eyes looking deep as the darkest part of the forest. A wry smile appeared on her lips. "What you seek is not here today, but you are welcome to stay."

"Wait-" Macy said, sure something had just happened that she missed. "What just happened? What did you see? Aren't you going to tell me what this object is?"

Rarity smiled even brighter, that strange, manic look in her eyes growing more intense as she rose from the chair and made her way towards the back door of the shop.

"Something or someone is looking out for you, is what happened, little Charmed One. The object matters not. The Seeking of it will be the end of me. If you come across any of my siblings or their shops... don't be so quick to accept their deals. You may not be so lucky again. Please," she said sadly, hand on the door knob, "feel free to peruse any of the spell books before you leave. You will not be able to re-enter this shop after you leave. Do not come past this door. You are not ready to face what lies beyond."

With that, Rarity was gone.

What had Macy just encountered?

______________________________________________________________________________

It was finally Midnight. Macy had taken Rarity up on her offer, and spend the next couple of hours scanning as many books as she could; not bothering to read the spells, just using her phone to snap photos of the pages to look at later and hoping they weren't enchanted to disappear (surely whoever had written these books didn't know anything about the cloud, Macy thought). Macy was at least prepared to go to a demon club this time, and she didn't want to risk the potential side-effects of glamour powder, so she'd brought her own change of clothes. Black skinny jeans, a deep red off-the-shoulder top that showed off her toned arms, and a pair of heeled ankle boots. Macy pulled her hair up like she'd worn it to Maggie's wedding and kept her make-up simple, but added some sweet smelling, shimmery lotion along her exposed neck and shoulder so that the light would catch the little bits of glitter and draw attention. She shoved the rest of her belongings in her bag, took one last glance around the shop, and headed out.

Macy found the cabaret easily enough. It looked exactly the way Mel and Harry had described. She threw her shoulders back and lifted her chin, hoping she looked confident as she walked over to the bar. 

She was almost to the bar when she felt a large hand grab her arm and yank her to the side. Macy stumbled slightly before quickly regaining her balance.

"What are you doing out here, Blizzard?" A gruff, but friendly male voice asked.

"Excuse me?" Macy said, confused. She managed to pull her arm away as she turned, looking up into the face of a very large, burly troll. His flat face had several metal studs in it, but his brown eyes were soft and kind.

"Oh, look at you!" He said, mouth splitting into a grin that revealed a row of yellow, cracked teeth. "You're getting better at the voice!" He shook his head. "You were supposed to be in room 9 at least 20 minutes ago, and I know you are not back out here already, so why are you here? Go. Now."

"Okay, Yes," Macy spluttered. "I'm... I just forgot the room number. I'm on my way." She gave a mock salute to the troll and hurried off to the left.

"Other way, Blizzard!" He yelled.

"Right! Sorry!" Macy said, course correcting to the right.

Macy was not sure why the troll thought she was... someone named Blizzard. She wasn't sure she wanted to know. There was one possibility that made her throw up in her mouth a little. Gross. She would unpack that later.

It didn't take long for Macy to find a glowing neon sign that said, "private rooms," sectioned off by a beaded curtain. She pushed the beads aside and found herself in a long hallway lined with doors. Macy ran her hand along the left-hand side, where the odd-numbered doors were, counting her way to door 9. She hesitated for a moment, running her hand gently along the wooden door a she took a slow, steadying breath.

Macy knocked.

There way no answer.

Macy knocked once more.

After a moment, the door was yanked open, and Macy found herself face-to-face with a glaring Darklighter.

Jimmy's eyebrows shot up and his mouth fell open into a little "o." It would have been adorable, if not for the intensity of his stare. He leaned forward slightly into the doorway, tilting his head slightly, before pulling at the door to squeeze his head between the door and the doorframe. His mouth opened and closed slightly, like he was searching for something to say for a moment, before he rocked back and threw the door wide open, gesturing for Macy to enter the room.

"Blizzard," Jimmy said quietly, still staring at Macy. "Get the fuck out."

It was then that Macy noticed a distorted version of herself in the room, looking her up and down.

"I said," Jimmy's tone turned dangerous. "Get out, Blizzard."

"What?" The Macy-doppelganger said in a Bronx accent. "Not often I get to see the real thing this close. It'll help for next time."

"There's not going to be a next time," Jimmy said, eyes narrowing. "Now, get the fuck out before I toss you out myself."

"Fine, I'm going." Blizzard held her hands up and left.

"Do I even want to know what that was?" Macy asked, gesturing at the closed door.

Jimmy moved to sit down on the oversized, red velvet sofa in the room, crossing his legs casually. He bit the corner of his bottom lip and smiled seductively up at Macy.

"What can I say?" He asked, one eyebrow raised playfully. "I thought I couldn't have the real thing, so I went for the generic version. I was a desperate man, love."

"Ugh," Macy scoffed, crossing her arms.

"Awe," Jimmy pouted, running a hand through his hair. "Don't be like that, Macy. Tell me, to what do I owe the honor of this visit?"

Macy rolled her whole face up to the ceiling. She didn't want to look at Jimmy or Harry's stupid, cheating-even-though-they-weren't-together face right now. She took another deep breath and let it out, before turning to look at him.

"Do you have anything to drink?" She asked, letting the edge of anger slip into her tone.

Jimmy's eyebrows shot up again, uncrossed his legs and stood up.

"Of course," he said, walking over to a small side bar and pouring two glasses of dark liquid from a decanter. He walked cautiously toward her and handed her one.

Macy took the glass and drained it quickly. Jimmy's eyes dropped to the glass, then back up to Macy's face. His expression became questioning, with a hint of mischief.

"Go easy on that," he whispered. "It's stronger than you think." He took her glass and turned his back fully to her. As he made his way back toward the side bar, he added, "Macy Vaughn. If I didn't know better, I'd think you were here to make a deal with the devil."

Macy laughed at that; a real, genuine laugh. It was such a corny joke, she couldn't help herself. Maybe she had just been under too much stress lately, that something so cliché coming out of the mouth of someone so Machiavellian was destined to make her crack. She laughed so hard she snorted. The shock of it made her gasp and cover her mouth with her hand. Her eyes widened as he caught Jimmy's eyes. He was smiling at her wickedly, amusement reflected in his own gaze.

"I told you it was strong," he said, sipping his own drink before setting it back down on the counter. "It's not human-made. One of the perks of coming to a troll bar." He dropped her a wink before moving back to the couch. Macy joined him this time, turning toward him and leaning her head back on the couch.

"Has it been as quiet on your side as it's been on ours recently?" She asked.

"Ah," he said softly, eyes still dancing as his gaze never faltered from hers. "We get to the heart of your visit."

"Answer my question, please." Macy said, reaching out to gently push his chest. Jimmy smirked.

"Mmm," he murmured. "Let me think." He reached out and lightly grabbed Macy's hand, rubbing lazy circles on her palm with his thumb. "You'll notice this place is packed; all sorts. There is a new Overlord already."

Macy opened her mouth to start to ask him who the new Overlord was. Jimmy quickly lifted his other hand and put his index finger to her lips, shaking his head "no."

"I can't tell you who," he said. "Compulsion, love. Unbreakable. Sorry. I suspect you'll find out on your own soon enough, though. You're so clever."

"That doesn't explain why the WitchBoard has been silent," Macy said, mostly to herself. She glanced away as she tried to puzzle it out. 

Jimmy grabbed her chin to turn her face back toward him, running his thumb over her bottom lip.

"Shh," he murmured, glancing down to her lips before looking back up into her eyes. "Does there always have to be logic behind everything? Can't some things just be what they are, Macy? Things are quiet right now. Take the time off. Relax. Do what you want for a change. Live in the moment?"

Before she realized what was happening, he was kissing her. It was brief at first, a moment before he pulled back to look into her eyes; but then she had one had in his hair and the other on the back of his neck trying to pull him closer, closer. She felt one of his hands snake around her back and up her shirt, the other moving along her thigh and up to grasp and tug urgently at her hip, imploring her body to move against his.

Jimmy moved his mouth to kiss along Macy's jaw and down her neck. She kept one hand in his hair and let the other roam down his broad shoulders and back. As amazing as this felt, Macy knew she'd come here for a reason, and it wasn't this. Groaning low in her throat, she released her grip from Jimmy's body and moved her hands around to his chest, gently pushing at him.

"Jimmy, stop." She said.

He slowed, but continued placing lazy kisses along her neck and shoulder, pulling both his hands to her hips.

"You smell so good, Macy," he growled, grazing his teeth along her exposed shoulder. 

He had to make this difficult. Macy flexed her palms against his chest and resisted turning her head back towards his. She licked her lower lip, swollen from kisses.

"Jimmy, as pleasant as this is-"

"Pleasant?" Jimmy lifted his head, his hair thoroughly disheveled. "If that's all this was, I'm ashamed. Let's start over. I'll do better."

"Jimmy," Macy said, with a laugh. She pushed his shoulders again, but then tugged them slightly back toward her. "I just mean I need to think clearly, and I can't with the... very good kissing."

"Okay," he said, smirking. He removed his hands from her hips and moved his hands to loosely circle her wrists, pulling them down to his lap. He grimaced. "There is just one problem."

"What's that?"

"You know I can't let you leave, right?"

"Jimmy..." Macy said cautiously.

"After last time," he started. "It's why I've stayed away, Macy. I got away with it once, but my Master was... displeased, to say the least."

"And I suppose you can't tell me who your Master is, either?" Macy asked ruefully.

Jimmy shook his head, smiling.

"Does your Master have anything to do with the radio silence?"

Jimmy just raised his eyebrows and gave another tight-lipped smile, but his grip on her wrists remained loose. He glanced pointedly down at her wrists, then back up at her eyes. Macy furrowed her eyebrows. He was trying to communicate something. He sighed deeply, regret all over his face.

"I really wish you'd waited longer to switch those inhibitions back on. I won't survive letting you get away a third time, Macy. If you come back to me again, the fight will have to be real, because I will be dead either way. Your hand will be kinder than the Master's. Let me know when you're ready, and give Harry my regards."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Second chapter of the day. First time writing a make-out scene. Did I do okay? *is nervous*


	4. Power Outage

Chapter Four: Power Outage

It was well past 2 A.M. and Macy still had not returned home or to the command center. There were still no red dots on the WitchBoard, Macy's phone was going straight to voicemail, and every attempt they made to scry for her was coming back with nothing.

"She's untraceable; again," Maggie said, throwing Jordan's ring across the table in frustration. She picked up her clipboard and furiously scratched through one more failed method. They'd tried a scrying crystal, ancient runes, water scrying, the astral plane, the ring, find my phone... 

"You don't think..." Mel said hesitantly, cutting her eyes cautiously at Harry, who was pouring through the Book of Elders for alternate locator spells, one of his legs bouncing with nervous energy. His head whipped around at her words, meeting her gaze with stormy eyes. 

"I can orb to the penthouse and check," he said, a muscle in his jaw twitching. "Just to be sure. I'm certain he would have moved on by now, but if it is him..."

"Harry, no!" Maggie said. "He'll have warded it."

"Or worse," Mel added. "And it's a long shot."

"I know," Harry said, pinching the bridge of his nose. "But it's the only lead we've got. It's Macy."

Just then, a glowing portal opened up in the command center and Macy stepped through. It was clear she had been in a fight: her hair was a mess and her shirt was torn; she was covered in a fine sheen of sweat and her left arm had a long, shallow cut that was bleeding lightly. She wobbled slightly before regaining her balance and tossing her bag to the side, grabbing her injured arm and turning it so she could get a look at the cut, hissing.

"Macy!"

"Oh my God, Macy!"

"Oh, thank the gods."

Macy glanced up, her mouth falling open slightly in surprise as she looked between her two sisters and her Whitelighter.

"Oh," she said slowly. "Hello. I didn't expect all of you to be here this late."

Maggie, Mel and Harry shared a look that shifted quickly from relief to concern to incredulity. Macy was regarding them cautiously, never taking her eyes off them as she made her way towards the apothecary table. She still looked a little unstable on her feet. Mel started to take a step towards her, but Harry held a hand up and shook his head slightly, mouthing "remember the choking?" at her. Mel nodded.

"Macy?" He said carefully. "You're hurt. May I heal you?"

"I'm fine!" Macy snapped, grabbing a bottle of antiseptic and some gauze from the table so she could clean her own arm.

"What about me?" Mel asked softly. "Can I come over there and help?"

Macy froze for a moment, staring at the now bloody gauze in her hand. She sucked in a slow, steady breath, then nodded. Mel shot Harry a pained glance, then went to help her sister.

"Damn it!" Harry cursed under his breath, turned and walking swiftly toward the WitchBoard, nostrils flaring. He gave the table a quick punch.

"Harry?" Maggie came up beside him and placed her hand over his fist.

"Sorry," He muttered, giving her a lopsided smile. "Bloody thing must be broken. Faulty magical power line or something. Only explanation for it not telling us she was in danger."

"I wasn't in danger," Macy said softly, as she and Mel joined them at the WitchBoard. She was pulling on an oversized SafeSpace sweater.

"Macy," Harry sighed, turned fully towards her. "Let me heal you, please, so that doesn't get infected. What do you mean, you weren't in danger?"

"Yeah," Maggie added. "And where were you?"

"It's just a scratch, really. I-" Macy hesitated, looking away. "I know it was stupid, but I thought if I went to see the Darklighter, alone, I might be able to get some answers for us about why there haven't been any attacks lately."

"You did what?"

"Of course you did."

"I see," Harry said slowly, that jaw muscle ticking away again as he crossed his arms over his chest. "And... did he tell you anything useful? Or did he just disabuse you of his charitable nature thusly?"

"There's a new Overlord," Macy said coolly.

"Yes, well," Harry said in an equally chilly tone. "We could have assumed someone would step up to fill the power vacuum without you exposing yourself to such a risk, Macy!"

"Harry," Mel said, her tone a equal parts warning and concern.

"I know," he said, shaking his head before stepping a few paces away, tapping his long fingers on the edge of the desk and cracking his neck.

"We were all so scared, Macy," Mel said, rubbing her hand up and down her sister's uninjured arm. "We had no idea where you were, and none of the scrying methods were working. We didn't know if he had taken you again, or if you were- you just left and didn't tell anyone. That's not okay."

"That's not what family does," Maggie added quietly. "Not to make this all about me, but... I can't lose anyone else right now, Macy."

"I'm sorry," Macy said, sounding sincere but still a little off-kilter. "I didn't mean to worry you, I just thought I could get answers; and I was..." she trailed off, biting her lower lip.

"It's okay, Macy," Maggie prodded gently. "You can tell us."

"Yeah, Macy," Mel agreed. "You can tell us anything."

Macy looked from Maggie to Mel, to Harry. When their eyes met, he let out a mirthless laugh.

"It's me," he snorted, rocking back slightly on his heels like he'd been hit with a physical blow. "She doesn't want to say whatever it is in front of me." He held both hands up in a gesture of surrender. "It's fine, Macy. I understand. I have something else I need to take care of, anyway. I think I know where to go, now."

With that, he orbed away.

______________________________________________________

Harry orbed into the streets of New York before pulling the cell phone he had surreptitiously swiped from Macy's bag out of his pocket. Was it strictly ethical? No. But desperate times called for desperate measures. He quickly punched in Macy's passcode and looked at the places she'd most recently searched, before tucking the phone back into his pocket and making his way to The Randy Bridge Troll. Harry walked purposefully toward the small lion statue; he was all stormy eyes and furious energy. He rolled up the sleeves of his button-down shirt, extending his hand to place it on the statue.

"About time you showed up," a gruff voice called from the shadows under the bridge. The man stepped forward just enough that Harry could make out that it was Jimmy. He looked rough: dark shadows under his eyes, usually pristine clothes a disheveled mess. He was holding a bottle of something in one hand. Jimmy turned his head slightly to one side and gave Harry a half-smile. "Well, Whitelighter," he rubbed at his cheek like it was sore. "What have you come here to say? Go on. Get it out."

Harry stormed over to his Darklighter and grabbed him up by the collar roughly, shoving him up against one of the bridge supports. Jimmy let out a dry little laugh, hands going up to either side. A bit of drink sloshed out of his open bottle.

"You hurt her," Harry said, low and dangerous. 

Jimmy made a tsking noise, turning his head slightly away from Harry before looking back to meet his gaze with a wicked look.

"I don't know what Macy told you, Brother, but we were just playing. You know how demons can be; even part-demons." He cocked his head to the side thoughtfully. "Come to think of it, you know exactly what I mean."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You know what that means."

Harry swallowed. Jimmy smirked and shoved him away, offering him the bottle he held. When Harry didn't move to take it, Jimmy shrugged and took a drink.

"I swear, if you lay a hand on her again, I'll-"

"You'll what?" Jimmy whipped around lighting fast, pulling a blade from some unseen place and brandishing it at Harry before quickly turning it around, handle first, and offering it to him. "You'll kill me again? Do you dare? Tell me, Harry, did you feel it?"

Harry stumbled back a few paces, sitting back against the pillar and resting on his hands.

"You did, didn't you?" Jimmy continued. "So it wasn't just me. The first time I killed you, I felt something shift. I started to feel things I hadn't before... decidedly you things. Then, again, after you killed me. Tell me... what did you lose?" Jimmy twirled his knife as he walked closer to Harry, a curious look in his eyes. "Oh, no... we're mirrors. Tell me what you gained? I wonder. How would you feel if I told you what Macy and I were doing before we fought? How she came here to me... freely. How she climbed into my lap and pressed every inch of that delicious body into mine. Would you like for me to describe how her lips taste? Her neck? The way the bare skin of her back feels against your fingertips?"

Harry launched himself from the pillar with a growl, lunging at Jimmy. The two men tumbled to the ground in a scuffle as Harry landing a jab or two while Jimmy laughed riotously before he began to defend himself. The two grappled for a while before Jimmy got Harry in a headlock he couldn't get out of.

"Jealousy! Rage! Passion! All that feeling! The lack of impulse control. Isn't it fantastic?" Jimmy crowed before releasing Harry and dodging away. "It seems like every time we get stabby with each other, more and more instability bleeds through! I'm sorry, brother. I can't let you kill me this time. I need my powers in top form. I don't think you want yours to get any weaker, either right now. What will go next? Your healing? Think of your precious sisters. They might need you. Macy might need you. I can't even heal a paper cut." Jimmy was well away from Harry now, and he was shouting. "I don't know about you, but I don't want a complete power outage. Now hurry on home before I have to kick your ass for real."

And with that, he was gone.

____________________________________

The Next Morning...

Jordan was prepping the gym for the morning when Harry approached, pausing in the doorway to tap lightly on the glass. When Jordan turned, Harry nodded and raised his hand in a little wave.

"I was hoping I could get in a little early this morning?"

Jordan nodded, looking Harry over appraisingly as he made his way to the bench. He grabbed a set of hand wraps and tossed them to Harry, who caught them easily.

"You're Maggie's sister's friend, right?" He asked, moving over to a heavy bag and giving it a light tap. "You warmed up?"

"Yes," Harry smiled ruefully, unzipping his track jacket and folding it on the bench. "On both counts. I jogged on my way here. And I am a friend of the family. I'm Harry."

"Okay, Harry. We can start with some basics, then. See where you are at." Jordan planted himself firmly on the other side of the bag while Harry wrapped his hands. "You were here that night, weren't you?"

"Yes," Harry said giving his arms a quick stretch and rolling his shoulders before he began bouncing lightly on the balls of his feet. "I imagine you have questions about that. Has Maggie spoken with you?" He began moving through a series of jabs and hooks.

"No," Jordan said, grunting lightly against the impact. "You've got good form! Maggie's been avoiding me, I think."

"Not surprising." Harry bounced back, light on his feet. "Though, in Maggie's case, I am sure it has nothing to do with avoiding you, specifically. It's been a very difficult time for her. I'm sure she will pull through this. She is resilient." He punched harder.

"Okay, hold up," Jordan winced, feeling the punches through the bag. "Why don't you shake it out for a minute and then do some plyo drills for 10?"

"Are you sure?" Harry asked. ""I really just feel like punching something."

"Yeah," Jordan said, rubbing his wrists. "I can tell. You need to burn off a bit more energy first before I'm going to let you go there, buddy. We'll work you through it, but I learned my lesson from Macy. No more cheap shots from your crew. Especially not after the other night."

"Right," Harry nodded, pulling his t-shirt over his head and tossing it with his jacket, leaving him in only a pair of black track pants. He grabbed a mat off the wall and rolled it out.

"Give me 20 burpees," Jordan ordered as he pulled two bottles of water out of a small cooler and setting them on the bench for later. "When you're finished, tell me: was that Parker guy the one Maggie told me about? The one who would hurt your family if he found you?"

"No," Harry said, finishing his set and pacing over to the bench, taking a grateful swig of water and wiping sweat from his brow. "Parker is... complicated. Maggie loves... loved him. He was good at one point, but he," Harry waved his had around, looking for a way to say it that didn't reveal too much information. "got involved with the wrong crowd. What you saw was the... after effects of something he had taken. Not his usual personality. But still. You will not be seeing him again."

"Hmm..." Jordan processed to new information for a moment before pointing back toward the mat. "30 second Plank."

Harry moved into position.

"Who is the guy you are all so worried about?"

"No, not answering that one."

"Huh. 30 more seconds."

"Some things you are better off not knowing, Jordan."

"I almost died for your family, Harry. 30 more seconds."

"Really?"

"Is he why you want to punch things today? 30 more seconds."

"I said you could ask questions, but you are not entitled to know everything," Harry groaned.

"Am I going to have to worry about him showing up in my gym looking for Maggie tonight? Tomorrow?"

"He's not after Maggie!" Harry cried out as he collapsed to his knees. He sat back on his heels, looking up at Jordan in frustration.

Jordan crossed his arms over his chest, waiting.

"It's complicated."

"I can handle complicated," Jordan said, tossing Harry a towel. "Try me."

"I might need to punch something again," Harry wiped some of the sweat off with the towel.

"I get that vibe," Jordan chuckled. "Been there; but you might also need to do the opposite. You know sun salutations?" Harry nodded. "Cool. Do that shit. And talk. We can punch later."

"You'll decide, will you?" Harry asked, beginning to move through the yoga sequences. The irony of this, following orders, wasn't lost on him. He supposed there wasn't much difference in the military discipline Jordan was used to and the training Harry had gone through, in the end.

"Yes," Jordan said, hands behind his back. "That's why you come to a trainer, right? To get out of your own head and into your body?"

"Right enough," Harry agreed. "How many of these do you want me to do?"

"Just until I can tell you're calm. I'm not letting you throw a punch at me again until I trust you're not taking my head off. Now move, and talk."

"It's Macy..." Harry said hesitantly, stretching upward in cobra pose. Just saying her name causes a bitter mingling of pain, longing, love, anger and frustration to bubble in the pit of his stomach. He sighed. "Have you ever watched someone you love walk, willingly, into an abusive situation, and there is just nothing you can do to stop it? I... have studied this, I have advanced degrees in social science. I understand the psychology behind it. How these complete assholes manipulate..." he let out a growl. "It is one thing to understand it on an intellectual level; it is another thing entirely to watch, firsthand, this beautiful, vibrant, fiercely intelligent, independent, powerful, amazing woman fall for it. To see her come home bruised, bloody, shell-shocked. To have her not even be able to look you in the eye, to not be able to stand to smallest touch or sign of affection, to watch her trust demolished... and then to have her defend him?"

Harry popped up off the mat and turned to look Jordan full-on, eyes desperate and blazing.

"And worst of all, Jordan. He looks exactly like me. He is destroying our lives, and I can't do anything to help her because every time she looks at me now, she sees him. He's... my... twin. And... How can he and I come from the same place, and..." A single tear tracked down his face before he wiped it away. Harry wasn't sure when he'd started crying.

"Fuck, man." Jordan said, putting a hand on Harry's shoulder. "I'm still not ready to let you throw another punch at me, but let's get you on a speed bag."

"Oh," Jordan added, patting his shoulder before removing his hand. "Don't think I'm letting you off the hook about my ring, either. You're going to tell me how you made such a good fake, and why you all needed to steal mine."

Harry's mouth fell open slightly and his eyebrows shot up. Jordan smiled.

"Come on, now. You didn't really think I didn't notice, did you?"

"Harry!" The girls were calling him. All three of them at once. He could hear their voices, frantic in the command center.

"I have to go," Harry said, rushing out the door.

"Hey," Jordan called out. "What just happened?"

"I'll explain later!" As soon as Harry made it around the corner and out of sight, he orbed to the command center.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for the delay on this chapter. I know it has a bit of a weird tempo; I was going to revise the first bit to be more Harry-centric since the last 2/3 of it are, but then I was like... ah, nah, don't feel like it. Hopefully it still works.


	5. Long Distance

Chapter Five: Long Distance

"How did I not notice things had gotten this bad between them?" Maggie asked, setting down a sack of bagels and a tray of coffees on the counter. "I'm the empath, Mel! It's like they can't even be in the same room anymore, and I didn't even see it coming. We have to fix this."

"We can't do anything, Mags." Mel grabbed her coffee and took a sip. "They have to work this out themselves."

"Bagels, Mel!" Maggie said, brandishing a cinnamon raisin bagel like it was the most offensive thing she had seen in years. "We're having to go out and buy bagels for breakfast! Harry is broken!"

"Hey!" Mel said, grabbing the bagel from Maggie and popping it in the toaster. "I like bagels; and Harry isn't broken. He's a person, not a machine."

Maggie riffled through the bags until she found the vegan cream cheese, setting it aside for herself.

"I just don't get it," she lamented, stealing a quick glance at the stairs to make sure Macy wasn't up yet. "He said he had feelings for her. She's drawing his picture in her journal. Why are they fighting, and not... you know..." she waved her arms around emphatically before grabbing her bagel from the toaster, "banging it out already."

"Margarita Vera!" Mel chided, grabbing another bagel from the bag and putting it in the toaster.

"I'm just saying," Maggie said, rolling her eyes as she smeared the bagel with a healthy dose of vegan cream cheese. "If you've got tea I don't know about, you better spill it, because I am confused as heck. Mel-on-ie Ver-a." She said her sister's name with exaggerated sass.

"If you must know," Mel said, shooting her own glance at the stairwell, "I did talk to Macy about it... and she told me the picture she drew wasn't Harry. She said it was the Darklighter."

"Nooooo." Maggie grabbed her cup of coffee and brought it to her lips, blowing on it to cool the liquid before taking a sip.

Mel rested an elbow on the counter, bringing her index finger to her mouth for a moment to chew on her nail. She twisted her head to the side, narrowing her eyes for a moment.

"You know, I really think she is just," she hesitated, then amended herself. "I hope she is just in denial, that it is Harry she has feelings for, because otherwise-"

"That's seriously fucked." Maggie said, chewing on her bagel. "The Darklighter?" She wrinkled her nose. "The Darklighter?" She shuddered. "Ew. No. Nope."

"Yeah," Mel agreed.

"I mean, Stockholm Syndrome is a thing?" Maggie said, more to herself than to Mel. "But... gross. I will lock her in a closet before I let that happen."

"Who are you locking in a closet?" Macy asked, walking into the kitchen. 

Maggie looked up, eyes wide. She opened and closed her mouth a few times, looking to Mel for help.

"Swan," Mel covered smoothly. "Maggie thought she saw her snooping around the command center entrance. Coffee?"

"Oh," Macy said. "Sure." She walked over and grabbed a cup, adding cream and sugar. She looked around the kitchen for a moment, noticing Harry wasn't there. "Is Harry watching the command center?"

"We don't know," Mel said, glancing at Maggie. "He didn't come home last night, as far as we know."

"Huh," Macy said, something unreadable flashing in her eyes. She didn't tell them whatever it was she had to say the previous night, even after Harry had orbed away. She was getting cagey again. Maggie and Mel exchanged exasperated looks, but didn't comment.

"We thought we'd eat breakfast, then head over," Mel said, holding up her bagel and giving Macy a tight-lipped smile. "Unless you wanted to talk about last night? I'm sure we could take a day off? It's probably going to be another quiet day."

"Yeah!" Maggie readily agreed. "Maybe the demon world has taken the holidays off this year! Some kind of big... end of the decade peace thing we just don't know about because we're so new at this. Oh!" She bounced her hands excitedly on the counter, looking between Mel and Macy. "We could do a full on sister bonding day: mani-pedi's, face masks... we could braid each other's hair!"

"No." Macy and Mel said quickly in near-unison to the last part. 

"Oh, come on, guys!" Maggie pouted. "It would be fun!"

"Mmm-mmm, No," Macy said, turning around and heading back toward the stairs. "I'm going to go get ready to head over the SafeSpace. You are not touching my hair, Maggie. We've talked about this."

"And my nails are off limits," Mel said, pointing a wary finger at her sister as she clutched her coffee close.

"But-" Maggie started. Mel made a clawing motion at her sister and hissed like a cat.

"I guess we're going to the command center," Mel said, taking a long swig of her coffee.

"You two are no fun at all," Maggie said, trying to stretch her foot out far enough to kick her sister.

_______________________________________________________________________

It was a quiet Saturday morning at SafeSpace Seattle. Some of the companies took weekends off, so there were less people milling around than usual as the sisters made their way to the secret entrance to the command center. Mel stopped by the shop to put up a note on the door with her cell phone number (Currently doing a private consultation elsewhere in the building. Call or text and someone will be here to assist you shortly).

"What?" Mel said at the looks Macy and Maggie gave her when they saw what she was doing. "Maggie and I both need to work on our new powers; she has her other job at SafeSpace... someone has to watch the WitchBoard. We all need to have a day off. It's not like Spellbound Botanica is overwhelmed with customers."

"Maybe it's time I tried touching the sap," Macy said as they descended the steps to the command center. She'd been thinking about it a lot lately. Her demon powers packed a punch, but she was starting to wonder what other effects using them might be having on her. Seeing the change in Parker after he'd eaten the apples...

"I don't know, Mace," Mel said, hovering between her and the pillar where the exposed tree root was. "I think you might have been right the first time. After what happened with the Book of Elders, I'm not sure we should risk it. You're not exactly powerless."

"Yeah," Macy said hotly, "but I'm not really a witch right now, either." She waved her hand toward the book sitting on the small desk near the back of the room. "At least, the Book of Elders doesn't seem to think I am."

"Macy, you're as much a witch as Mel and I are. That's why we're the Charmed Ones." Maggie said, coming to stand beside Mel.

"But what if I'm not?" Macy said, crossing her arms. "What if that's why the Power of Three isn't working? What if we aren't really the Charmed Ones anymore? What if it's me? What if it's..." her voice cracked. "What if it's my fault?"

"Oh, Macy!" Maggie said, walking over to wrap her arms around her older sister. Mel followed, hugging them both.

"I just wish," Macy sobbed, "I need to know how to fix this. To fix us. Of all the demon powers, why couldn't I have kept the Dark Sight? What I need is a way forward!"

It was a relief just to get the words out, standing there in the command center with her sisters arms around her. But, just as the words left her mouth, a strange crackle rippled through the air. A tingle ran down Macy's arms, as her hair was lifted slightly by a breeze in the room. She pulled back from her sisters, only to be met with perplexed expressions. Maggie and Mel's hair was blowing about, too.

"What's going on?" Mel said, looking between her sisters.

"The WitchBoard!" Maggie exclaimed, her mouth falling open. Macy turned to stare, shocked. The screen of the WitchBoard had gone completely blank, and the globe in the center of the console was glowing the same vibrant gold as the portals it opened. The sisters shared a panicked glance, before shouting almost in unison:

"Harry!"

"What do you think this means?" Mel said, putting her hands on her hips and starting to pace.

"I have no idea, but it can't be good," Macy replied as she walked to the console, studying the globe. It was laced through with sparking, glowing threads of lightening.

Just then, Harry orbed into the command center, wide-eyed, shirtless and sweaty. He reached up to run a hand through his messy hair, and Macy couldn't help but follow a bead of sweat as it traced it's way from his chest down his abs, disappearing into the waistband of his black track pants. She bit her lip... and then she imagined where he might have come from that left him in such a state. He didn't come home last night, and he wasn't here when they'd arrived. He'd said he "knew just where to go" last night. For all she knew, he might have just come from Abigael's. Macy choked back the bile that suddenly rose in her throat. Now wasn't the time.

"What's wrong?" Harry said, rushing forward.

"Jeez, Har," Mel snorted. "You could have put on a shirt."

"I was upstairs in the gym," Harry said, crossing his arms over his chest self-consciously. "It sounded urgent. I- Oh, dear. Supernatural wind and electricity in the air?"

"And there is something wrong with the WitchBoard," Maggie said, pointing to the blank screen and glowing orb in the center console. "Look. Do you have any clue what this means?"

"No," Harry said, his voice laced with academic fascination. "None at all." He made his way over to the WitchBoard, grabbing one of the many spare SafeSpace sweaters laying around the command center and tugging it over his head. "What were you girls doing when it happened?"

"Just talking," Macy said defensively. "We weren't even near the WitchBoard."

"Hmm," Harry said, carefully pressing the globe. He yanked his fingers back sharply with a hiss, sticking them in his mouth. "Ouch."

The screen lit up with a message similar to the command center warning system. "System Recalibration in Progress. Warning: Parameter Exception Detected. Proceed with Caution." 

"What do you think that means?" Mel asked.

Just then, a large portal opened. It glowed brighter than the others before, and it's edges were ragged and swirling with sparks. The screen flashed again as more words appeared. "Proceed with Caution. No Return Orbs Will Be Issued. Alternate Method Must Be Found. Proceed with Caution. Proceed with Caution."

"Well, that's different," Maggie said, eyes wide. "What do you think we should do?"

"Obviously it wants us to go," Macy said, moving toward the portal. Harry grabbed her arm to stop her.

"Obviously the WitchBoard is malfunctioning, and we should seriously think about this before any of us step into that portal," he said, shaking his head like he couldn't believe she would behave so irrationally. Normally Macy was a "Think things through before leaping" kind of woman; not a "run headlong into danger without even thinking about it" type of woman. 

"Harry," Macy said, looking at him with pleading eyes. "Before this happened, I... asked for a way forward. Maybe this is it?" She nodded at the portal. "It's crazy, but is it the craziest thing that's happened to us lately?"

Harry swallowed, looking down at the hand that was still holding her arm, before looking back up into her eyes.

"We should decide as a family," Mel said.

"Yeah," Maggie said, nodding. "No one is getting left behind. We all stay, or we all go."

"I think we should go," Macy said softly.

"Okay, we go," Harry said slowly, finally breaking eye contact to look at Mel. "But we should make sure we stock up on potions first. We don't know what we'll find on the other side."

"Right," Mel agreed. "I mean, this could be what we've been waiting for. The WitchBoard needs to reboot. Maybe it's sending us to get something it needs to fix it?"

"I can't believe after everything we've been through," Maggie said, looking between the other three, "that something... somewhere Mom sent us would... send us somewhere bad. Let's go."

"Okay, then." Macy nodded, reaching out to take her sister's hands. They both took one and squeezed. She smiled at them. "We're going through another mysterious portal. Together. Let's do this."

"Yeah," Mel said, laughing. "Let's just hope we don't lose any more powers this time."

"Yes," Maggie said, lifting the hand that wasn't holding Macy's and crossing her fingers. "Please! Let's keep what powers we have this time!"

____________________________________________________________________________

When Macy, Mel, Maggie and Harry emerged on the other side of the portal, they found themselves standing in what looked to be a barn. They were surrounded by the smell of hay and horses. One particularly beautiful brindle mare startled at their sudden appearance and stomped indignantly.

"Oh my gosh!" Maggie squealed. "Oh, Mel, look! She's so beautiful!" She reached out to try and pat the horse's flank, but the horse pulled away. "Oh, no! I'm so sorry we scared you, pretty girl! We didn't mean to!"

"It's freezing!" Mel complained. "Where are we?" She pulled out her phone, frowning. "No service? Who gets no service and has horses?"

"It's about time you got here," a woman said as she pulled open the stable door. Her hair was covered by a large black cowboy hat and most of her face was obscured by a black bandana, but Macy would never forget those piercing green eyes. "I summoned that portal for you over an hour ago."

"Rarity?" Macy asked, unable to hide the astonishment from her voice.

"Macy Vaughn," Rarity said, pulling the bandana down to reveal the rest of her face. She tossed 4 large packs into the stable with them. "I told you I'd find what you need, and a deal is a deal. But for this venture, I need help. Now get changed. You won't fit in here dressed like that." She began to walk away, leaving them a moment to talk amongst themselves.

"Macy..." Harry said carefully, his expression guarded. "How do you know that woman? And what did she mean by "a deal"?"

"I met her in New York," Macy replied. "She just said she would... she offered to find an artifact that I needed, and I could either pay for it or she got to keep it. It was a trade for getting to kill time in her shop. I didn't see the harm." She shrugged.

"Didn't see the-" that muscle in Harry's jaw ticked and he rolled his eyes. "Macy, do you have any idea who that is?"

"Are you finished lecturing, Harry?" Rarity asked, poking her head back in the stable. "You lot really should get dressed. And I should probably mention- though, Mel, you are a time witch, aren't you? I'm surprised you didn't notice. It's not so much a where as a when. You're still technically in the same location, just 200 years or so in the past. Ta for now." Rarity gave a little wave and left them alone again.

"What?" Mel said, her head whipping around in Macy's direction. "What the hell?"

"We time traveled?" Maggie said, jaw dropping.

"How the hell are we supposed to get home from here without a marble?" Mel said, stunned. "It's not like we can just call an uber."

"Guys," Macy said slowly. "We might have bigger problems than that."

Bigger problems?" Maggie looked like she was going to be ill. "Bigger problems than how the heck we're going to be able to get home?"

"Well.. it's 200 years ago. In America. We're three women of color. Three witches. And there are witch hunters active here during this time that we already know about: Jordan's ancestors."

"Oh. My. God." Mel said. "We are so fucked."

"You didn't by any chance pack any glamour powder, did you?"

"Oh, relax!" Rarity called from outside the stable stall. "You're riding along with me. You'll be fine! Stop being such big babies. Are you getting changed?"

"This," Harry said through clenched teeth, "Is why you never make deals with goddesses, ladies."

"I heard that!"

"Fine," Harry said, resigned. "I guess I'll orb to the next stall. The sooner we get this over with, the sooner we get to go home. This should be fun."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rarity is back...  
> what goddess is she?  
> And we've traveled in time! Why, I wonder?


	6. Road Trip

Chapter Six: Road Trip

The Charmed Ones changed as quickly as they could in the small stable stall with their new equine friend, whom Maggie had already nicknamed "Mrs. Whiskers." Rarity had provided each sister with their own unique fashion: 

Macy's outfit started with a simple white blouse and supple doeskin trousers, followed by a pale lavender underskirt and a set of deep pockets that belted around her waist. Over that went a long-sleeved over-dress in a deeper purple. The dress had double-breasted buttons running up the front, as well as slits at the sides to access the pockets, and longer slits at the sides for riding. She also had a small pair of doe-skin gloves, a woolen scarf, a rounded felt hat and a pair of sturdy boots.

Mel also had a pair of leather boots, but instead of a dress, she wore a thick pair of dark navy cotton breeches with riding leathers buckled over the top, a long grey tunic with an intricately woven vest and a red silk sash. Rarity had also given Mel a collection of necklaces made of shells, beads and gemstones, a wide-brimmed brown cowboy hat, and a gorgeous hand-loomed shawl covered in red and blue geometric patterns.

Maggie wore a large, puffy dress in black-and-white buffalo check. The dress had buttons running down the front and was belted at the waist. It also had a large baby-blue bow tied at the neck, and thick pleats running the full circumference of the dress. She had thick boots and a pair of soft pants underneath her dress as well.

"Why don't I get a hat?" Maggie asked, scratching Mrs. Whiskers behind the ears before leaving to meet Harry and Rarity.

"It could be worse," Harry said, smiling fondly at Maggie and doing a little twirl to show off his own outfit for her. He was wearing a simple grey and blue pinstripe shirt that was buttoned to the neck, tucked into a pair of plain brown trousers. He also had on a worn, light brown leather jacket covered in fringe and a small, flat hat. "Men's fashion hasn't changed terribly much over the centuries, I'm afraid."

"Ah!" Maggie said, pulling a face. "But you got fringe, Harry!"

"And you got a bow," Mel said, tapping her little sister on the nose. "I seem to recall you wanting your hair braided this morning? Seems like that would go great with your new outfit, Mags."

Maggie stuck her tongue out at Mel's back. Macy just laughed.

"This is one of the few American outposts around right now," Rarity said, looking between the four of them. "If we want to make it to Toult before the end of Sicalwas, we need to get a move on."

"Get where before the end of what?" Harry asked.

"We really don't have time," Rarity said, shouldering her pack and gesturing for them to do the same. "I'll explain on the way, but we really need to leave. Now. I've already traded for smoked salmon, dried elk, and huckleberry cakes. It should last us the journey there. We'll just need to stop for water. Come on."

_________________________________________________________________________________

"I still don't understand why we couldn't take the horses," Maggie whined as the trekked along the river, lugging their heavy packs on their backs. "I'm not built for manual labor!"

Rarity, who was leading the way, paused to look back at her. 

"Because," she said, "although you are much safer than you would think in this time period... horse theft is a hangable offense. Been there, done that. Trust me, it is not fun."

"We are also mortal," Harry added with a pointed look at Rarity, who just rolled her eyes. "I'll have you bear that in mind before you just waltz into danger, please."

"You act as though this is my first road trip with mortals, Harry, really," Rarity sighed. "I'll remind you that I've been a friend to adventurers for many centuries. I've set many heroes on their quests, even if I am usually only in the beginning of their story."

"Yes, yes..." Harry replied. "I still don't understand why you are here, Rarity."

Rarity looked past his shoulder for a moment, her expression thoughtful, before flipping her hair and walking briskly ahead.

"Keep up, please!" She shouted back over her shoulder.

"Rarity?" Mel called, stumbling to catch up with their guide. "We still don't understand what's going on here. You said you would explain on the way. Isn't this where Seattle is supposed to be? Where are all the settlers?"

"Mel? Is it?" Rarity asked, cutting her eyes to the side as Mel fell into step beside her.

"Yes," Mel said, trying to catch her breath. "You said we were going to Toult? That's home to the Snohomish Tribe, right? So we're right around the Puget Sound?"

"Good," Rarity smiled, sounding impressed. "You're correct, Melonie Vera."

"I read up on the area when we ended up in Seattle."

"Why?"

"Curiosity. I was an academic back home; I guess it's just in my nature to want to learn things."

Rarity's smile grew broader as she regarded Mel.

"Then you might like to know we arrived about 30 years before Arthur Denny and Company land; there are only a few small settlements like the one where you originally arrived. This whole area is still very much dominated by the Suquamish, Duwamish, Nisqually, Snoqualmie and Muckleshoot tribes. I dare say we will run into more people that look like you, Mel, than we will any of the rest of us."

"Really?" Mel's eyebrows rose at that.

"Yes," Rarity said. "In fact, I doubt very much that we will encounter many English speakers on this journey. It will be mostly Lushootseed, I'd think. Possibly some Puget Salish? Luckily for you, one of my little tricks is universal translation, so you'll be able to understand everyone we encounter, and they'll be able to understand you."

"Wow," Mel nodded slowly, taking in this new information. "That's a neat trick."

"Mmm." Rarity paused, pulling a small vial out of her pack. "That reminds me- you'll want to take this. Study it. Learn it's secrets. You'll need it for any future travels through the past. It will replicate the effects. It also prevents you from transmitting any of your nasty modern diseases to the innocents of this era. It would be catastrophic to introduce even the most mundane viral vector of 2019 to these people. You understand, little time witch?"

"Yes," Mel said, nodding as she took the vile, turning it slowly in the light before pocketing it. "Thank you."

"You're most welcome."

"My powers as a time witch are bound, though," Mel said, confused. "And I was never able to time travel..."

"Mmm," Rarity said in a distracted tone. "For now, and you weren't. Now is not forever. It's a long life, Melonie Vera."

Mel fell back to walk closer to her sisters and Harry, and explained what she'd managed to learn.  
___________________________________________________________________________________

By the time they stopped for the night, everyone was exhausted and sore. Mel and Maggie unrolled their packs for the night while Harry and Rarity gathered firewood and Macy laid out their meager provisions for an evening meal. Once they had a nice little pit dug for their firewood and had the kindling and branches arranged, Macy summoned a small fireball and they had a roaring fire within moments.

"That's handy," Rarity said, tucking her flint and knife back into her pack. "But you should still know how to start a fire the old fashioned way, just in case. You won't always be able to rely on your powers. Especially if you need to pass as an ordinary human. Though, why you'd want to..." she shrugged.

"Because," Maggie said, looking sadly at her huckleberry cake. "Ordinary humans have a bad habit of burning witches at the stake; drowning us; crushing us under rocks..."

"Why don't you eat some smoked salmon?" Rarity said, trying to pass a slab of the orange stuff to Maggie, who made a face and waved it away. "Dried elk? In my experience, when mortals get maudlin, protein usually helps."

"I'm vegan. Ish." Maggie replied, biting a chunk out of the cake in her hands.

"What is... Sickle... what you called it? The thing we need to make it to?" Mel asked, chewing on her own food.

"Sicalwas," Rarity replied. "It's a tradition. A celebration of sorts? The rough translation is The Putting Away of Paddles; the return of winter. Soon it will be too cold for regular travel and trade; so it's one final big gathering of communities before things start to thaw out again. It's when the people gather to pass along ancient legends and ceremonies are handed down from one generation to another. It's considered a sharing of tradition and spiritual power. The guardian spirits are said to be most present. Gifts are said to be bestowed upon guests."

"Please tell me we are not rushing to Toult to... effectively steal artifacts from these people?" Harry asked, appalled.

"No!" Rarity said, sounding offended that he would even suggest it. "Of course not. I think they know the location of a cavern I saw in my vision when I touched Macy. I think they will be more inclined to share the story at Sicalwas. And if not, there's always plan B."

"I'm afraid to ask," Maggie said under her breath.

"Then don't," Rarity said, pulling off a piece of smoked salmon and popping it in her mouth. "That's why it's plan B."

After a bit more companionable chatter around the fire, everyone began to settle for the night. Harry made his way over to where Rarity was setting up a perimeter ward to alert them of any intruders.

"A word?" He asked, taking a small swig of water from his canteen and checking to make sure none of the girls had followed.

"Still suspicious as ever, I see," Rarity said with a chuckle.

"I just want to know why you approached Macy with a deal; and why the deception about your identity." Harry used the toe of his boot to draw patterns in the ground, hoping his line of questioning didn't offend the goddess, but needing to know the answer.

"She did well enough with my shield, didn't she?" Rarity asked. It was a rhetorical question. "I never received payment for that loan, by the way."

"That deal was with the Elders," Harry said, leaning in closer to her.

"Yes," Rarity said, her mouth twisting wryly. "And they're all dead. Did you really think that made you exempt from collection? You were the one who picked it up from me, after all."

"A technicality," Harry huffed, pulling at the collar of his shirt.

"Ah, it chaffs, doesn't it?" Rarity said bitterly. "That invisible collar around your neck? You should have never bound yourself to them, boy."

"I'm not bound to them anymore!" Harry said angrily. "I'm free now."

"Yes... now. But you are still beholden to the debts put in place while you were under their charge. At least as far as we're concerned." Her eyes glowed vivid green. "I'd be wary, if I were you. The Elders made a lot of bargains, and you are the last of their pets. Not everyone in my family is so magnanimous."

"Magnanimous?" Harry said, his voice full of skepticism. "Need I remind you why we needed that shield in the first place?"

"Not my finest moment," Rarity said, glancing away. "To be sure. We've all done things we're not proud of."

"Still.. you didn't answer my question. Why Macy? If you wanted to reach out to the last of the Elder's pets," Harry spat out with disgust. "Why reach out to Macy, and not me? I thought you considered Marisol a friend. Or was I mistaken about that, as well?"

"No," Rarity said wistfully. "Marisol was a kindred spirit. I'd often pop by her office to share a cup of tea and discuss theory, mull over our latest findings." A soft smile graced her lips. "Melonie seems to take after her mother, doesn't she? I can sense her innate curiosity... that same thirst for knowledge and adventure. But she's... bolder. somehow."

"Yes," Harry agreed. "You're quite right. They were very close."

"You must believe me, I had no idea when I called for parlay with a senior witch, that it would be Macy who would arrive in my shop," Rarity said, meeting Harry's eyes with an earnest and open look. "I would never. I was angry that the bargain had been broken, but when I saw her walk through the door, and that she had no idea who I was... my offer of help was made in earnest. I would not broker a bad deal with one of Marisol's children. You, however... will have to make sure my family is paid what is owed. You are and were well aware of the rules when that deal was made."

Harry's eyes dropped to the ground as he processed her words. He looked back up, meeting her eyes.

"Thank you for your generosity," he said with just the barest hint of challenge in his tone.

A truly spectacular grin blossomed across Rarity's face; her eyes sparkled.

"Oh, good," she said. "Not such an obedient little puppy anymore." She reached out and smacked him lightly on the cheek; it wasn't without affection. "You'll need a bit of bite for what lies ahead. Now get some rest, Harry. If we're going to keep Marisol's daughters safe, you're going to need it. Mortals are so irritatingly fragile."

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

Macy stirred in her blankets, feeling unnaturally warm in the cold November night. She shrugged the blankets down around her waist and turned her back to the fire, hoping to cool off. As she did so, Macy felt the first prickling awareness of being watched as it trickled down her spine. She pressed her tongue firmly against the back of her teeth and sighed. 

"Of course," she muttered softly. "This is a dream." She rolled over flat on her back, lacing her fingers together on her stomach as she turned her head to look at Jimmy, who was crouched beside the fire, watching her curiously. He glanced around at the sleeping figures, then back at Macy.

"You're not guarding your thoughts," he said, admonishment in his tone. "I'm surprised. You've been so much better about protecting your location since you realized what I was doing." His eyes moved up to the sky.

"You can look around all you want," Macy laughed. "It won't do you any good."

"Why?" Jimmy said, standing and walking over to where Macy was laying. "Because you're camping? You really underestimate me. I can tell what hemisphere you're in from the position of the stars. I can smell salt in the air, so I know you're near the ocean. There are mountains to the... what is that? Southeast? And the trees are mostly Pine... Really, Macy..." He scoffed, offering her his hand to help her stand. She accepted it. "You've made this almost too easy for me. Though why you'd go camping this time of year is beyond me."

"Not so fast, James," Macy said, her voice pitched low. "There is at least one thing you haven't noticed."

"You mean the fact that you're dressed like an extra out of Westworld?" He asked huskily. "Believe me, I noticed; and I can't say I'm not intrigued. But I don't see what that has to do with me finding you, Macy." He made to grab for her waist, but Macy gathered up her skirts and danced away from him to the other side of the fire.

"You don't get to make vague threats about hunting down my family, and then get to touch me like that, James Westwell."

"Come now, Macy," he purred. "I was just playing."

"No, you weren't," She said, crossing her arms. He was intriguing, and infuriating, but she was getting well past the point of allowing him to bait her with his charms.

Jimmy smiled slowly and bit his lower lip, but he didn't move any closer. He looked around once more at the sleeping figures around the fire, before meeting Macy's eyes and catching the triumphant glint there.

"Macy Vaughn," he said, sounding almost pleased. "Are you implying that your little Time Witch got her powers back? Are you somewhere in the past?"

"Maybe," Macy teased. "But you don't get to know that; I have to keep some tricks up my sleeves, don't I?"

"I knew you were a clever girl," Jimmy said with a laugh, finally moving closer to her. His eyes were dancing. "It was really only a matter of time before our little game came to an end in 2019, but to move our little chess game into multiple dimensions... this is going to be so much fun." 

He reached out for her again, and Macy almost gave in. She shoved him away at the last second, but she could see in his eyes that he knew. Damn, she should have never kissed him. He wasn't the one she wanted, but it was so easy to give in and forget. She ignited a fireball in her hand to drive the point home. Jimmy's not welcome here anymore. He chuckled.

"So much fun."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, Mrs. Whiskers. You don't get to come on the Road Trip. Everyone has to walk. *I have no idea how long it would actually take them to walk between the places I am making them walk, so... everyone is just going to have to suspend their disbelief with me. LOL. I am more interested in writing this story than researching geography.  
> *Sicalwas: real celebration!  
> *Toult: real village!  
> *The languages and tribes mentioned are also real and were in the Puget Sound during this time period.  
> *I apologize for any mispellings of historical places, names, peoples, etc. I will be taking liberties for the sake of the story. It is not my intention to represent any tribal gods, totems or objects in this work because I cannot possibly do the research necessary to do them justice in the scope of this fanfiction with the time I have, so any spirits, etc mentioned from here out will be purely fiction or based in general fantasy. Any resemblance is purely coincidental unless otherwise mentioned in notes.  
> Thank you for reading!


	7. Mulled Wine

Chapter Seven: Mulled Wine

They managed to make it into Toult in the early afternoon on their third day of travel. Toult was a fishing village in the middle of two rivers; the village mainly consisted of large, rectangular houses with walls made of split cedar boards and gentle, sloping roofs. There were workshops for canoe carvers, and large displays of fishing and hunting gear. Market stalls were set up along a central alleyway displaying the wares of weavers and basket makers. They were surrounded by a beautiful array of artisan works: clothing, wool from mountain goats, tanned hides and furs, finely crafted tools and utensils, jewelry and artworks.

Men, women and children were milling around, talking and laughing. Sharing food and drink amongst themselves. Some browsed the goods available while others just mingled with friends and family. Rarity pointed out a building, larger than the rest, in the center of the village.

"That's the longhouse," she said. "It's where the main gathering is held in the evenings. It's the heart of the community. We should go and introduce ourselves."

"This doesn't look like what I imagined when I pictured a Native American village," Maggie whispered. "The only thing that looks right are the canoes."

"You know," Mel said, giving her sister a tight-lipped smile. "Most of what they show you on movies and tv is fake, right? It's not real history? Stereotypes are all mostly bullshit?"

"Yeah, of course I know that!" Maggie rolled her eyes. "I'm just saying."

"Are those... pixies?" Macy asked, pointing out two very fae looking young women chasing a group of giggling children.

"Indeed they are," Harry said, unconsciously placing a hand on the small of her back as he followed her line of sight. 

"What do you think they're doing here?" She asked, leaning into him slightly, voice low so they weren't overheard by anyone outside their little group.

"I told you guardian spirits attend Sicalwas!" Rarity said with no care for who might hear. 

Harry pulled his hand from Macy's back and made his way over to Rarity, giving her a look.

"Subtle," he commented drolly.

"Oh, I could say the same about you," she replied cheekily.

Harry made a tsking noise and shook his head.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"You know what I mean, Romeo," she said, a twinkle in her eye. 

"Ah, I believe we've reached our destination," Harry said quickly, attempting to dodge the subject. He opened the door and held it for the ladies to enter.

"You know... sometimes I think our unnaturally long lifespans blind us to the fact that we really don't have forever, Harry. I wouldn't wait too long." Rarity smirked and made her way past him before the sisters caught up and overheard her final words. 

____________________________________________________________________________

"Witches!" A satyr greeted them jovially, raising a clay pitcher in their direction. They'd received a very warm welcome from the village elders and had been told where they could find lodgings for their stay. Several bunkhouses were open for guests without family, and there was a surprisingly large supernatural community in attendance. They'd found 5 open hammocks in a cozy little bunkhouse with a handful of pixies, a shaman, a trapper and the satyr, who was gesturing them over to the fire enthusiastically, and they didn't wish to be rude, so they made their way over.

"Welcome and Well Met, bunkmates!" He said, smiling broadly. "I'm Talmoud. Please, have some mulled wine!"

"Oh, no..."

"It's still quite early in the day..."

"Oh! Wine! Yummy!"

"Well, I, Uhm, We, that is to say-"

Full cups of fragrant, gently steaming mulled wine magically appeared in their hands instantly. Maggie, who was still the only one without a hat, found her hair in looping German-braids twined with purple mountain wildflowers.

"Drink up!" Talmoud declared. "It'll warm you up right away!"

"Oh, this is the best," Maggie said, grinning into her cup. "I love satyrs."

Talmoud dropped her a saucy wink.

"Oh, dear," Harry said, moving beside Maggie and putting a hand on her elbow. "No... no. Don't say that. You... satyr's are notoriously...er" he coughed and widened his eyes slightly, hoping she would catch his drift without him having to say it.

"They're horny old goat men," Rarity said bluntly. 

"But..." Maggie said, looking confused. "Leon wasn't... all the satyr's I've met have been super nice..."

"I'm sure they have been..." Talmoud said, licking his lips and gyrating his hips.

"Gross." Maggie said sadly.

"You have to remember you're 200 years in the past, dear." Rarity laughed. "These satyrs are not, uh, woke AF."

"Hang on to your cups, witches." Talmoud said with a chuckle. "They'll stay full until tomorrow's sunrise. If anyone asks where you got them, tell them to come to Talmoud."

"Thanks."

"It is really good mulled wine," Macy said as she took a sip. "I do feel warmer."

"Yeah," Mel agreed.

"Me, too." Maggie nodded.

They exchanged glances as they held the warm cups in their hands.

"I mean, part of me feels like I shouldn't drink this because dude was creepy, but..." Mel said, taking another sip. "It was free, and he left us alone, so..."

"If he tries anything tonight, I can always threaten him with a fireball."

"Macy!" Maggie said with a wide, faux-scandalized smile.

"What? I can." Macy shrugged like it was no big deal, just something I do every day now.

"Okay, you three," Rarity said, smiling warmly. "They don't start sharing tales until the evening, so we have all afternoon to take in the rest of the festival. Feel free to browse the wares, talk to the magical community- but please do not tell them you are displaced in time! I have some items to trade, but if you need anything, I will be around."

__________________________________________________________________________________

"This is beautiful," Macy said to Mel, running a soft woven scarf through her fingers, careful not to spill any wine on it. The scarf was a whorl of blue, yellow, and white yarn dotted with tiny, sparkling beads and shells. It almost looked like van Gogh's Starry Night in scarf form. The woman at the cart smiled warmly, nodding, and gestured broadly with an open palm.

"Thank you; my daughter made it. You would wear it well."

"Oh, no," Macy said softly. "I don't think I could afford it."

"You're one of the witches, yes?" The woman said with a curious expression. Macy seemed surprised that she knew, but nodded cautiously. The woman smiled again. "I will trade for a potion to remove warts."

"Salicylic Acid?" Macy said, pulling her head back in shock as she looked to Mel for confirmation. Mel laughed.

"My sister is our protector. Potions are my specialty," Mel said, smiling. "I'd be happy to make you one for the scarf if you'd hold on to it for us. I should be able to get it for you by tomorrow morning."

"Many thanks, witch-friend," the woman said, nodding her head in acknowledgment as she pulled the scarf from the display and folded it for safekeeping.

"Salicylic acid would work in most cases," Macy muttered under her breath as they walked away.

"Yes, but she wanted to trade with a witch, not a scientist," Mel snorted. "It's a three ingredient potion that takes an hour to brew. I should feel horrible trading something so simple for something that beautiful, but she was the one who set the price."

"Must be some awful warts."

_____________________________________________________________________________________

The mirror was dazzling. The frame was exquisitely detailed and wrought in gold, depicting pixies dancing around maypoles, feasting with dryad's in endless forests, partying with satyrs in gardens, battling with valkyrie, making love with humans... Maggie couldn't help but be drawn to it. When she caught her reflection, she saw herself not as she was, but as she wanted to be: gorgeous, confident, and dressed like a woman, not like the baby sister. She rushed back over to Harry, who was looking off at something or someone in the distance, and dragged him over by the arm.

"Harry, you have to see this!" she exclaimed.

"Maggie, what is it-" Harry's eyes fixed on the mirror, seeing their reflection. He tilted his head, seeing a dark, smirking version of himself staring back. He made that sound of admonishment Maggie was so used to as he cut his eyes over to her, pulling her own eyes away from their reflection. "Ah. A Pix Glass. Really, Maggie. It's not a worthy distraction."

"But Harry, it's like glamour powder without the consequences!" Maggie said, waving her hand back at their reflections as she twirled, never taking her eyes off herself. "Just look. Look at that sexy motherfucker staring back at you! Doesn't that make you feel amazing?"

"Margarita Vera! Language!"

"Sorry, Dad," Maggie sassed. "Didn't realize we had to keep this show PG."

"Very funny."

"Like what you see?" A wandering pixie draped her arms over Maggie and Harry's shoulders, peering into the mirror. Her eyes scrunched up, taking in the modern clothes that appeared there. "What sort of outfits are those? Not that they aren't interesting... I just haven't seen anything like them before. Did you see them in Paris?"

Harry coughed, shooting Maggie a "told you so" look. Maggie rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, we, uh... saw them on stage at the Moulin Rouge, you know? Much nicer than this, though. Our imaginations are terrible!" Maggie said, twirling a hand around as she riffed. "Right, Harry?"

"Yes," he said, playing along. "We weren't on stage, of course! We just watched. Not that we enjoy watching or are propositioning you in any way-"

"We're leaving. Bye!" Maggie said, grabbing Harry's hand again and dragging him off and away from the very confused pixie.

"God, I'm glad this cup keeps refilling itself!" She said, doubled over laughing. "I think I sloshed three cups of wine out running!" Maggie looked at Harry, who was also breathless and laughing. She smacked him on the shoulder. "What was that, you dummy?"

"You were the one who brought up the Moulin Rouge," Harry said, gasping. "I was just improvising. I'm just not very good at it. Apologies."

"That was fun, though." Maggie giggled.

"It was, yes."

___________________________________________________________________

Mel found herself pouring through the pages of a book on various medicinal properties of herbs she'd found in an unmanned stall in a corner of the festival that seemed strangely quiet. There were all sorts of tomes in this little corner, many of them on obscure topics that Mel couldn't wait to dig into if she had the time. Some of it could be really useful in creating new potions, possibly even recreating some of the spells she'd been having trouble with.

"What are you looking at, if you don't mind my asking?"

"Rarity?" Mel looked up, startled. She had been so absorbed in the book she'd found that she hadn't even noticed the other woman walk up. She was almost pressed against her back, looking over her shoulder.

"Sorry," Rarity murmured, her breath close enough to tickle the side of Mel's neck as she stepped back to give her space. "I didn't mean to scare you. It just seems you've stumbled on some of the items I was wanting to look at as well."

"Oh," Mel said, trying not to think about how close the goddess had just been to her and the way it made her feel. It had been a very long time, and she should possibly stop drinking so much of the satyr's mulled wine. "There doesn't seem to be anyone here. I hoped they wouldn't mind if I just looked through the books..."

"Mmm..." Rarity said, leaning back on the cart and picking up a book to absently thumb through. Mel spun around, mirroring her position and leaning against the table on the opposite side. "It was rather careless of the owner, to just abandon them like this, wasn't it?" Rarity dropped the book back in the pile, picking another up to flip through it's pages. "Poor, abandoned babies." She raised her green eyes to meet Mel's; they shimmered wickedly. "We should just abscond with them all. Whoever owns this cart clearly does not deserve them. These books are our babies, now."

Rarity looked down and away, biting her lip coyly before glancing back at Mel. If she didn't know better...

"Wow," Mel said, rolling her eyes. "definitely too much of this being passed around today." She raised the cup of mulled wine in mock cheers.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Rarity laughed. It sounded like bells. "It's been so long since I've flirted with a mortal; I'm out of practice. If it's unwelcome, my apologies. It's just... hmm," she paused. "Perhaps now is not the right time."

"You were..." Mel pushed off from where she'd been propped against the table, closed her book and pointed at herself. "I'm sorry, you were flirting with... with me?"

"Oh, no!" Rarity said, putting her hand over her mouth, eyes going wide. "Was I really that bad at it?"

"No! No.." Mel said, shaking her head vigorously. "I just... I didn't expect... I mean, you're... I've been putting it together and, aren't you, like... a virgin goddess?"

"Yeah," Rarity said, wincing. "That doesn't really mean what you think it means. It got blown way out of proportion because... you know how men are. The three of us, the virgin goddesses, it really just means we are strong, independent women who refuse to accept being bound. We're not celibate or anything. The whole sexual purity thing is a bullshit myth created well after the fact to keep us and other women down. It's actually very much antithesis of all that we stand for." Rarity trailed off a bit awkwardly.

"Huh," Mel raised an eyebrow. "The more you know."

"So... books?" Rarity shrugged, picking up another and smiling tentatively. "You want to just... talk about books?"

"Yeah," Mel said, letting out a sigh of relief. Rarity was unbelievably gorgeous, but this entire exchange had been beyond awkward. "Let's talk about books."

_________________________________________________________________________________

Evening was fast approaching, so Maggie and Macy decided to head back to the bunkhouse for a while to rest before the night's festivities. They were sitting by the fire together, Maggie's head resting on Macy's shoulder, her arms around her waist, when Talmoud approached.

"Ladies," he said, much calmer than he'd been earlier in the day. 

The sisters groaned, casting wary looks at each other. Macy mouthed "fireball" at Maggie, who giggled lightly. They both sat up, stretching as they acknowledged their temporary roommate's arrival.

"Talmoud," Macy gave the satyr a tight smile. "How has your day been?"

"Very well," he said, joining them at the fire. As he sat, he squeezed both of his knees; it was an oddly paternal gesture. Very unlike the bawdy behavior of the afternoon. Talmoud reached into a pouch he carried at his side and pulled out a pipe and some tobacco. He packed and lit it, taking a long puff and offering it across the fire. The sisters declined. "I want to apologize for my behavior earlier in the day. I'm afraid I got carried away with the celebration. I did not see what is clearly in front of me now. Poor form, truly. I wish to make amends."

"What do you mean?" Macy asked, tilting her head as she glanced between the satyr and her sister.

"I can see now," he gestured between the two of them, "the weight you both carry. You've both been badly hurt by love, and recently. Come, tell old Talmoud. It will help."

"I..." Maggie stuttered, looking to Macy for help. "I really don't think that's the best idea, Talmoud."

"It will be a balm for your spirit!" Talmoud's voice boomed as he slapped his knees again. "Trust me! I am an old goat! I know these things. If you don't speak of it, the wounds will never heal!"

"Well..." Maggie hesitated, trying to find a way of saying it that didn't reveal the true nature of them being the Charmed Ones, and time travelers. "I was supposed to get married recently; but the man I loved was... corrupted by dark magic. He turned on me. He attacked me and my sisters. His own sister had to kill him to save us."

"That is a truly terrible tale..." Talmoud shook his head sadly. "My sorrow for you is deep, young one. But you are beautiful, and you shine brightly. Tonight, when you look at the sky and you see the twinkling stars, know that their brilliance is nothing compared to yours. You will find love again, sweet child." With a wave of his hand, dozens of flowers and butterflies appeared, dancing in the air around Maggie. She smiled sadly.

"Thank you, Talmoud." She elbowed Macy in the ribs, before saying under her breath, "see, I told you satyrs are cool."

"Now," Talmoud said, turning his attention to Macy. "What about you, eldest sister?"

"It's nothing," Macy waved him off.

"No, it's not," Talmoud prodded gently. Maggie looked on, curiously.

"It really is nothing."

"No," Maggie said, taking Macy's hand and forcing her sister to meet her eyes. "No, Macy. You've been acting off lately. I've been too busy trying to distract myself to really pay attention, but... you have been."

"No," Macy repeated, more firmly. "Maggie. Parker is dead. You've needed to be distracted. We've had work that's needed to be done. Necessary work. What's going on with me? It's nothing. It's... less than nothing. It's stupid. It's... so stupid."

"No..." Maggie said, shaking her head as if clearing cobwebs. "You were supposed to... oh my god. You were supposed to talk to Harry after my wed- things haven't gotten better, they've gotten worse. What happened?"

"I told you, it's nothing." Macy insisted, shaking her head and blinking her eyes rapidly, her mouth working into a reflex of a smile: so many emotions running across her face so quickly that even Maggie couldn't follow them.

"Macy... woah."

Talmoud rocked back in his seat, crossing his arms as he watched the exchange with narrowing eyes.

"When we don't talk, we tend to implode," he said sagely. "Little fire witch gonna go boom."

"Ugh," Maggie waved him off. "Thank you for your help, Talmoud, but... hush! Macy, I am going to ask one more time: what the hell happened when you went to go talk to Harry that night?"

Macy stared straight forward into the fire, pressing her palms flat into her thighs. She ground her teeth together as she felt the hurt and anger well up, a bitter pill in the pit of her stomach.

"You want to know what I saw, Maggie?" She seethed. "Fine. I'll tell you. I saw Harry kissing Abigael. I let my sisters convince me that he loved me, that he'd confessed his feelings to them, only for me to walk in on him with another woman. That's what happened. So tell me, who should I be mad at? Him because I was wrong? Myself for being so stupid? Abigael for being faster to make her move than I was? You and Mel for giving me hope? Or should I just hurt... because I don't know, Maggie. I just don't know." Finally, Macy turned to look at her sister, unshed tears filling her eyes. "If you have the answer, please, tell me."

"Oh my god, Macy," Maggie said, wrapping her arms around her. "I'm so sorry. I had no idea."

__________________________________________________________________________

"Did you know Rarity was a lesbian?" Mel asked Harry as they made their way back to the bunkhouse to meet up with the rest of the group. Harry raised an eyebrow at her, but didn't question how she came by this newfound knowledge.

"I'm surprised you didn't already know that. The virgin goddesses? Artemis, Athena, Hestia? Refused to be bound to any man? Subtext, Melonie."

"Really?" Mel said, readjusting the packages she'd collected from vendors she and her sisters had arranged trades with throughout the day. "Huh."

"I should have known when she kept making little comments about how like your mother you were," Harry said, adjusting his own haul.

"Are you telling me..." Mel dropped her voice low, "Athena had a crush on my mom?"

Harry laughed.

"Don't sound so shocked, Mel. Marisol was an extraordinary woman. So are you, by the way. And it has nothing to do with your similarities. You are truly remarkable, all on your own, Melonie Vera." Harry smiled softly at her.

Mel made a noise in the back of her throat. She wobbled under the weight of her collection of goods, but she leaned in to give Harry a little nudge with her shoulder to thank him for the compliment.

"I need your criticism to keep me honest, Greenwood. Save the sap for Maggie."

"Understood," Harry tucked his chin down into his collar, smiling. "Your potions could use some work. I could tell you rushed them; you really should give them more time to mature before you attempt to use them. You'll find they are more potent that way." He cast her a sideways glance. "Better?"

"Much."

When they arrived back at the bunkhouse, they deposited their array of packaged on one of their cots to sort through later. They'd picked up a few artisan goods, herbs for potions, a few intriguing spell books and more travel supplies. 

"How are we going to carry all that with us?" Maggie asked, appearing beside them. She and Macy must have seen them arrive and followed them in.

"Oh, I can just expand the packs; make them lighter. Another of my little tricks," Rarity said, also appearing in the bunkhouse.

"You can do that?" Maggie said, looking shocked. "Then why didn't you do that on the way here? Those packs were so heavy?"

"You really think I didn't?" Rarity laughed. "Child, you think we fit that much in those packs without magic? You have so much to learn."

Harry caught sight of Macy's face then, taking in her red-rimmed eyes and slightly puffy face. He moved slowly to her side, trying to be discrete.

"Are you alright?" He asked, whispering in her ear.

"I'm fine," Macy waved him off, moving away from him and closer to the goods laid out on the bed. She picked up one of the books and started looking through it with deep concentration. 

Maggie looked from Macy to Harry, then over to Mel. She grabbed her sister by the arm, tugging gently.

"Mel, we need to talk," Maggie said, urgently.

"Yeah, okay. Just a minute."

"No, now," Maggie said, dragging her towards the door.

"Don't take too long, you two," Rarity called. "We have to get ready to go to the main longhouse. Tonight, we learn the next steps in our little adventure."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to post this yesterday, but didn't get it finished in time. Happy Holidays, Everyone! Hope you got to enjoy some delicious Coquito!  
> Next Chapter... they will still have their magical, bottomless cups of Mulled Wine (full until sunrise!), so... party on.


	8. Slippery

Chapter 8: Slippery

The main longhouse was full of revelers tonight. The two large slats in the center of the roof had been opened to allow the smoke from the fires to rise, as were the smaller side slats. It was clear that pixie or satyr magic had been used to help decorate the great house. Each large pillar was climbing with twisting greenery that pulsed with life. Flowers would bloom on the vines, but instead of dying, they would burst into sparks that flew away into the air as tiny butterflies, or floated away leaving the imprint of stars, galloping ponies or canoes propelled on invisible currents. New flowers would bloom in place of the old, and the cycle would repeat. Magic was a living, breathing thing here, blending seamlessly with daily life and "modern" technology; something celebrated, not feared and hidden away from mortal eyes.

There were tables laden with roast meats and vegetables, ripe fruits, all types of cured and salted fish. The people were pouring libations into cups and heaping food onto plates, passing them freely. All were welcome. This was a homecoming, a celebration of a bountiful year. 

As they ate, Harry couldn't help but notice that Mel and Maggie were deep in whispered conversation, and that they kept shooting meaningful glances his way. He leaned over to Macy, nudging her gently with his toe.

"Do you have any idea what they're up to?"

"Hmm?" Macy responded distractedly. Harry gestured at her sisters, and she shrugged. "No, no idea."

"Hmm." Harry leaned towards Rarity. "How about you? Do you know what they're whispering about?"

"Nope," Rarity said, emphasizing the "P" with a pop of her lips. "That really bothers you, doesn't it? Being out of the loop?"

"Ugh," Harry made a derisive sound. The assumption was not incorrect, but that did not mean he appreciated hearing it out loud.

The evening turned out to be a blend of music, storytelling, food, dancing, oaths and blessings. The first storyteller was the woman with whom they'd traded a potion for the beautiful scarf. She and her daughter were from a tribe farther to the North, and they shared tales of their Raven trickster god. The daughter appeared to be part pixie, or a witch herself, as she had the ability to create images in the fire that helped illustrate the story as her mother told it.

The Raven, the woman said, was a magician, a transformer, and a powerful creative force who released the sun from a tiny box to create the stars and the moon. He also found a cockle shell on the beach and opened it up to release the first humans, all because he needed guests for a party he was throwing. As the mother said this, her daughter threw a large dose of glittering powder into the central fire, sending out a rippling cloud that passed through the crowd in waves. Sparkling Illusion Dancers magically appeared amongst the festival guests, beckoning them to join in. Taking their cue, musicians began to play at the edge of the crowd. Mother and Daughter slipped from the stage, their work done.

"This Raven sounds like quite the character," Macy said, laughing into her cup of wine.

"Tricksters usually are," Rarity said with a smile.

"Hey, handsome. Why don't you join me on the dance floor?" A young pixie giggled as she yanked Harry from his place between Macy and Rarity, practically pulling him from his boots in her haste to join in the dancing.

"You've got to be kidding me," Macy said, her voice dripping with irritation. She drained her cup. "We can't take him anywhere lately."

"I don't get it," Mel said, shaking her head. "He's such a nerd."

"Never underestimate the appeal of the sexy librarian, darling," Rarity winked at Mel as Talmoud appeared at their table and grabbed Macy by the wrists. She made soft protests, but allowed him to guide her out amongst the group of dancers, lifting her chin in Harry's direction like she dared him to say anything. "Not to mention the allure of the unattainable," Rarity continued, laughing. "There's always going to be a certain type of person who enjoys a challenge, and everyone left at this table knows how far gone those two are for each other; no one else stands a chance."

"Apparently not, girl," Maggie said, leaning over the table, lowering her voice. "Because Macy just told me she saw him making out with Abigael."

"I'm sure it was more complicated than that, Maggie," Mel said, kicking her under the table.

"Ah, so that's what you two have been whispering about all night," Rarity said, narrowing her eyes. A group of young men approached them hopefully, and she just put a finger out towards them and said "No," like she was scolding a naughty dog. They walked away, dejected.

"I'm telling you," Mel looked between them, "It's not like he's been running off at night like he's been meeting some secret lover or anything-"

"He can orb, Mel."

"I'm just saying- Macy didn't say anything to anyone until today. Who knows what she walked in on, but... I don't think it was... ugh. It was probably a mistake; an accident."

"Well," Maggie said, popping the table lightly with her palm. "A very wise person once said to me, How can one accidentally put ones lips against another person's lips?" She paused for a moment for affect. "The person was Harry."

"Yeah," Mel made a face. "I know the person was Harry, idiot."

"Ladies, please," Rarity said, rubbing her temples like she was getting a migraine. "You're just going to have to trust that the two of them are adults, and they're going to figure it out themselves. But please, for now, stay out of it. Don't ask me why, but it's imperative that you do not intervene in this matter."

"Just... stay out of it?" Maggie looked confused.

"Have you met us?" Mel said with a little chuckle.

"Try?" Rarity prompted with a hopeful tone in her voice.

"Try what?" Harry asked as he collapsed breathlessly back at his seat.

"Nothing you need to worry about," Rarity waved off.

"Ah," Harry said, taking a large gulp of wine, only to grimace. "really, is everything here tonight alcoholic? If we're going to be dancing reels all night, we need to stay hydrated. I'm going to go see if I can find us some water."

"Lightweight!" Maggie called after him. "Really, he is," she snorted into her own cup of wine. "You should have seen him after three cups of mom's Coquito.   
Sound asleep in an armchair, drooling on himself. It was embarrassing."

"Here you are, Milady," Talmoud said as he returned Macy to the table with a small bow.

"Thanks, Talmoud," Macy said, wobbling slightly on her feet as she moved to grip the edge of the table for balance.

"Save me another dance?" He said with flourish.

"Oh, no..." Maggie said, shaking her head. "I'm sorry, man. Her dance card is full for the rest of the night." Mel nodded in confirmation.

"Oh," Talmoud said, eyes widening as if he had some greater understanding of the situation. "Don't be jealous, little one! I'll save a dance for you, too!"

"What?" Maggie's mouth dropped open. Mel tried and failed to hide a snicker. "I didn't mean- Talmoud- no- that's not what-" But the satyr was already strolling away, an extra swagger in his step.

"Wow," Mel commented.

"They laughed at me," Harry said when he returned.

"What?" Macy asked, turning to look at him curiously.

"When I went and asked if they had any water to drink," Harry said, looking rather put out. "They laughed at me."

"The village is in between two rivers, Harry," Macy said slowly.

"Of course!" Harry replied, eyes widening in comprehension. "No wonder they laughed at me!" He smiled brilliantly, looking between the three sisters with an expression of pure delight. "Oh! They must think me a fool! Ha!"

"Damn, Harry, How much pixie dust did that girl hit you with?" Mel asked, trying not to laugh as she snapped her fingers in front of his face.

It wasn't long before the next storyteller took the stage. He was a young man, no more than 12 years old. He seemed to be local, from the number and volume of cheers that went up around the crowd. He had a confidence about him that didn't seem arrogant; just the simple self-assurance of someone who knew themselves and their place in the world. He was a slight boy, would likely be a petite man, but it was clear from his carriage that in spite of his physical size, nothing about him could be called small.

"That's Patkanim," Rarity whispered to the group.

"Who?" Mel asked.

"Future chief of the Snoqualmie and Snohomish tribes. A major figure in the founding of Seattle. He's just a boy now, but... he's got quite a life ahead of him."

"Hello," Patkanim said, looking out into the crowd. He took a deep breath, hesitating only a moment before launching into his tale. "Last summer, on a trading expedition with my cousins, my canoe was taken by a swift current that I was not prepared for. My canoe capsized; the goods were lost, the canoe destroyed, but my life was spared. I knew the way back; it was a path we had traveled before in more ideal conditions, but I had no supplies. The journey on foot would be three days, at least." He paused, looking around to let the enormity of his peril sink in with the crowd.

"On the way back, I stumbled upon a cave that I had never seen before. There, I was given a vision that I will share with you tonight."

At the mention of the cave, the Charmed ones sat up taller.

"The spirits showed me a vision of a young man named Phaethon, son of a sun-god his mother called Helios. As a boy, he refused to believe his mother when she told him who his father was. As a man, he traveled far to find his father and demand proof. He demanded to be allowed to steer his father's great sky-canoe. His father allowed it, but the young man was so unsuccessful, such a danger to the world as he tried to steer the canoe, that the Great Spirit, there called Zeus, had to strike him down to save the world from destruction. The young man's flaming body fell from the sky into the river below."

Patkanim paused as some in the crowd gasped in shock.

"Phaethon's sisters wept for him by the river, but it was too late! Their brother was gone! For his hubris, he lost his life. Their grief was so great, they were transformed into great trees dripping with amber, and that amber washes the shores with their woe to this day." As he said that, he held up a glittering, teardrop shaped amber jewel to the firelight. "I was given this to remember the story, to remember Phaethon and his fiery canoe, his flaming body falling to the ground."

"It was a warning. About what, I do not know. But we must be careful of our own hubris, or else our tears will wash these shore like Phaethon's sisters'." With that, he left the stage and was immediately rushed by a crowd of other kids his own age, desperate to get a closer look at the piece of amber he held in his hand.

"He definitely has a flair for the dramatic," Maggie said, sounding impressed.

"We have to find out where that cave is," Rarity said, eyes narrowed in thought.

"Is anyone else wondering how a kid from the Pacific Northwest knows a Greek Myth?" Mel asked.

"Time Slip," Macy and Harry said at the same time. Everyone turned and looked at them.

"It was in an episode of Heaven's Vice," Macy said as Harry coughed and blushed. "A place where time and space are thin; things bleed through in places that... shouldn't."

"Makes sense, considering what's supposed to be there," Rarity said, nodding.

"What's supposed to be there?" Mel asked.

"We need to talk to Patkanim," Rarity dodged. "Hopefully he tells us willingly. If not... he is a member of this tribe, so... plan B will work."

"Ah, yes," Harry said, rolling his eyes. "The illusive plan B. Which you still haven't told us about."

"No time like the present," Rarity said, rising from her seat and making her way through the crowd toward the boy. Maggie, Mel, Macy and Harry followed. Patkanim was still enjoying the attention from his friends when they arrived. "Hello, young man," Rarity cooed. "Loved your story. Hey, you wouldn't by chance remember where that cave was, would you? My friends and I would just love to convene with the spirits."

"Yes," Maggie said, putting on her brightest smile. "I don't know if you've heard, but we're witches. We could really use the spirit's guidance."

"And counsel," Mel added.

"And wisdom," Macy threw in for good measure.

"Yes, we would be so grateful," Rarity continued, but Patkanim just looked at them coolly.

"No," he said, dropping his piece of amber in his pocket and turning to walk away.

"No?" Maggie said, looking shocked. "No?" She reached out to gently grab Patkanim by the bicep. "Please?"

Patkanim turned back to look at them once more, and there was something in his eyes that wasn't there before: fear.

"You do not want to go to that place. I... I'm not sure it was truly spirits I encountered that day. I won't tell you where it is." With that, he pulled his arm from Maggie's grasp and slipped into the waiting crowd, disappearing quickly.

"No! Patkanim, wait!" Harry called after him. "Shoot. Slippery little bugger."

"Okay," Macy said, crossing her arms. "Looks like it's finally time to let us in on whatever plan B is, Rarity."

"Right," Rarity said, grimacing. "Plan B. We can force the tribe to give us a gift, in this case, knowledge of the cave's location, since a member of the tribe has it. As part of one of the festival's traditional ceremonies."

"Okay," Maggie said, "how do we do that? What do we have to participate in?"

"Well," Rarity said, smiling awkwardly at the four of them. "Two of us have to get married. Plan B. I'm pretty sure the wedding start around midnight. Who's ready to tie the knot?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Double Chapter Day!  
> Patkanim is a real person. Look him up! I was going to post a like to his wikipedia page, but the link didn't work; google is your friend! ;)


	9. Ice Skating (or: Skating On Thin Ice)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a double chapter day! Go read chapter 8 first or you will be confused! 💜 You, dear reader!

Chapter 9: Ice Skating (or: Skating On Thin Ice)

"I'm sorry, Rarity," Harry raised his index finger and blinked several times as if trying to clear a bit of dust from his eyes. "I must still be under the influence of pixie magic, because... I could swear you just said two of us have to get married tonight."

"Oh, no, Harry." Rarity let out a tiny, manic burst of laughter. "You heard me correctly."

"That is... no," Macy swung her head in a wide arch, the exaggerated motion making it clear she was feeling the effects of the wine drunk throughout the evening. "that is not going to happen. None... none of us are marrying-" she waved her hands in Harry's general direction, "-him tonight."

Mel and Maggie nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, There has to be another way." Maggie said.

"It doesn't have to be him," Rarity said with a shrug. "They're a very open people. Any two of us will do."

There was silence for a moment as everyone contemplated her words. Harry and Macy looked everywhere except at each other. Mel and Maggie exchanged meaningful glances. Rarity stuffed her hands in her pockets and looked between the four of them, before letting out a frustrated sigh.

"Is no one going to say anything? Really? This is the fastest way to get the information we need. Without it, we may well be stuck in the past forever."

"I mean," Maggie started, "Do I really have to be the one to point out the elephant in the room? The answer seems super obvious? The timing is horrible, but, I mean, what is new with you two, I mean oh. my. god. It is like-"

"Melonie Vera, will you marry me?" Rarity said abruptly, cutting off Maggie's speech. She pulled a silver ring bearing the image of an owl from her pocket and held it out. Rarity's eyes were wide and frightened, and she visibly swallowed as she offered Mel the ring.

"I'm sorry, what?" Mel said, mouth dropping.

Harry's eyebrows practically disappeared into his hairline, which was a feat. Maggie's mouth snapped shut. Macy just stared in shock.

"Oh, this really is not my thing," Rarity said, waving the ring in Mel's direction. "Please just take it."

"Rarity," Mel said, not keeping the shock out of her voice. "I just met you!"

"Mmm," Rarity muttered. "Yes, I know. But we cant expect any of the sisters to marry each other, and that," she waved her hand towards Harry and Macy, "is..." she made a strangled noise in the back of her throat. "Oh, trust me, Mel... if my sisters were here, they would be trying to talk me out of this, too. But... you're hot. I'm hot. Marriages have been build on worse."

Harry, who had finally regained the use of his faculties, was working his jaw and turned to regard Rarity with a look of disdain. He moved close enough to grab her by the arm and turn her to face him.

"No," he said fiercely. "Absolutely not. You may have them fooled, but I know who and what you really are, and you will not bind one of the Charmed Ones to you."

"I would not do this if I did not think it necessary!" Rarity hissed, the sound sending tiny shockwaves through the room. "The balance is in danger, Harry. We have to get to that cave. It is the only way to restore the Power of Three."

"You are really going to stand here and pretend like you are a friend to witches? You?"

"I know I've made mistakes," Rarity said, her voice low. "Am I not allowed to make amends?"

"Mistakes?" Harry scoffed. "Mistakes? I might have bought that until last year, Rarity, but I saw the truth of what you did. Macy broke Medusa's curse by *not* turning away from her. She broke it by seeing her, acknowledging her and her pain. You did that. You cursed her to walk the earth for centuries bearing that pain."

"No!" Rarity said sadly. "You of all people, Harry. You should understand the things jealousy makes someone do. I realized my mistake and I went back to her; I tried to undo what I'd done. But it was too late; the curse had taken on a life of it's own. I couldn't break it. Believe me, I tried. I am not a perfect person, no one is. And I have had many more lifetimes than most to make mistakes, but in this I am earnest."

Rarity turned to Mel, reaching out to take her hand.

"Mel," she said slowly. "I do not make oaths lightly. I don't know what I can say or do to convince you, but... you can trust me. This I swear to you."

"We need time to talk about this," Maggie said, "Without you."

"Of course," Rarity said. "I'll be here when you decide." With that, she disappeared into the crowd.

"Something's not right," Maggie said.

"No, I agree," Harry nodded. "She doesn't make vows." He pinched the bridge of his nose, deep in thought. " And for her to... swear, to a mortal? There is something she isn't telling us."

"In the shop," Macy's voice was barely audible. "She said this quest would be the end of her."

"What?" Mel asked, leaning in towards Macy. "I didn't catch that, Mace. What did you say?"

"I think... I think she thinks she's going to die here," Macy said, rubbing her arms like she'd caught a chill. "I don't know for sure, but... something she said when we met..."

"That's ridiculous," Harry rolled his eyes. "She's a goddess. She's immortal. She can't die."

"You don't know everything, Harry," Macy said, looking at him like she hardly knew him anymore. She pushed past him and into the crowd.

"Macy!" Harry called after her, confused at the sudden turn. "Macy, where are you going? Macy, wait!" He followed her into the crowd.

"Do you think she's right?" Mel asked Maggie. "Do you think... Rarity thinks she's not going to make it out of this alive?"

"I mean," Maggie shrugged. "You're the one she just proposed to. You could always ask her. In the meantime, I'll try to track down Patkanim, see if I can't convince him to just tell us where the cave is?"

_____________________________________________________________________________

Harry caught up with Macy by the edge of one of the rivers; she was kicking rocks into the water. It was cold away from the crowd and the fire; crystalline ice was already forming on the grass. Harry paused for a moment to watch Macy's breath rise like smoke, her cheeks already rosy from the chilled wind off the water. She was lovely, however wrong it was of him to think it.

"Why did you run away?" He asked, approaching cautiously. Macy looked at him for a moment, her eyes narrowing before she turned and started walking further down the coastline. It was too much. It had been too much for a long time, but in this moment, it was the final straw. He hurried to catch up with her, reaching out to touch her on the arm. "Don't walk away from me, Macy."

Macy spun around to face him with dizzying speed, her mouth a straight line and her eyes tired. She smacked him. Harry's mouth dropped open in shock as he reached up to rub his jaw. Macy's eyes turned angry then, as she balled up her fists and started hitting him in the chest.

"This is all your fault," she sobbed, eyes welling with tears as the anger turned to sadness.

"Macy, what are you doing?" Harry said, shocked. "You're hitting me now?" He made to grab at her hands to stop her, but she'd already slowed, pulling her hands back and putting one to her own forehead, waving him off with the other.

"I'm sorry," she said turning and walking away again.

"You think you just get to, what?" Harry called after her, raising his arms at his sides in an almost comical expression of exasperation. "Hit me, and say you're sorry, and run away? Again?"

"Just leave me alone, Harry, please," Macy said, her steps faltering.

"No!" Harry called out to her, still rooted in place. "Come back here and talk to me!"

Macy stayed frozed in place for a few more moments, like she was thinking about going back to him, but then something shifted and she started walking again. Harry let out a frustrated little cry.

"God damn it, Macy Vaughn!" He chased after her, stumbling a bit in the silt. When he caught up with her again, he grabbed her by the hand and pulled her back toward him. "Stop walking away from me. What is going on? Will you just talk to me? Please!" He was begging her now, his voice breaking in places.

Macy met his eyes, finally letting the tears fall. There were so many unspoken words there, as they stood inches apart on the shore of the river.

"I saw you," she whispered. "I went to New York... because I saw you. I met Rarity because I saw you. So, we're here because I saw you. So, Mel may be getting married now because I saw you."

"You... saw me?" Harry muttered under his breath, searching Macy's eyes for understanding.

"With her," Macy said, the disgust in her voice plain as she turned her eyes back towards the water. "Why does everything always go back to...her? Abigael?"

Realization dawned across Harry's face. 

"Macy, I..." He began, reaching up to brush the tears from her face. "You saw Abigael and I-"

"In the command center," she cut him off, pushing his hand away to wipe her own tears away. "After Maggie's disaster of a wedding. Yeah."

Harry hesitated, taking in her face, the way she looked everywhere but at him. She was still hiding something, but this was the most open she had been in weeks. He didn't want to push.

"Why were you there, Macy?" He asked carefully.

"It doesn't matter now, Harry," Macy said, pulling away from him to wrap her arms around herself as she looked out over the water.

"Why didn't you say anything until now?"

"I didn't think it was my place to pry into your personal affairs." Macy toed the silt with one of her boots, still not meeting his eyes.

"Macy..." Harry reached up, placing a hand on her shoulder and rubbing gentle circles there. "There is nothing about me that isn't yours to know, freely. Just ask, and I will tell you."

"Harry," Macy let out a bitter laugh; she glanced at him briefly, then away again. The pain he saw in her eyes in that moment shattered his heart. "You're probably my best friend, but... I'm sorry, I don't think I could bear hearing you talk about how in love with Abigael you are now. I'm sorry."

Harry pulled his hand back, reeling. She saw one kiss and thought he was in love with Abigael?

"Macy," he said, breathlessly, "I'm in lo-"

"There you two are!" Maggie was sprinting toward them, her hair flying out of it's braids. "I've been looking everywhere! You've got to hurry!"

Macy and Harry turned toward her, taking in her frazzled appearance.

"What's going on?" Macy asked.

"They're doing it!" She shouted, waving at them to follow her. "They're getting married. Right now. Mel and Rarity. They're not waiting for us."

"What?" Harry said, throwing his hands up in the air.

"I know!" Maggie said, lifting her skirts and heading back toward the longhouse. "It's crazy. Mel's lost her mind. There's taking one for the team, and then there's... whatever this is."

_______________________________________________________________

Not Long Before...

Mel found Rarity pacing back and forth near the woodpile just outside the the longhouse. She was pacing back and forth, talking to herself.

"Rarity?" 

"Hmm?" Rarity stopped pacing and turned to Mel, looking slightly dazed, as if she'd been pulled from a trance. "Mel? Have you come to a decision?" She asked, scrubbing her face with the heel of one hand.

"Oh, no," Mel said, leaning back against the longhouse and looking up at the moon. "I actually wanted to ask you something first."

"Of course, anything." Rarity shifted from one foot to the other, looking at Mel curiously. 

"Macy said she..." Mel hesitated, tucking her hair behind her ears. "That you think you're going to die here?"

"Ah." Rarity stilled. She moved beside Mel and leaned against the longhouse beside her, taking a deep breath as she, too, looked up at the moon. Mel turned to study her, how her golden skin and shiny black hair almost seemed to glow in the moonlight. If she squinted and turned her head just so, she could almost convince herself she was looking at an older version of Niko (if Niko had sparks of living magic under her skin) but... no. It had to be another one of the goddesses "little tricks." Some sort of mind games to make her want to give her what she wanted. It seemed unfair, if not altogether cruel to play on that particular vulnerability. Mel hoped it was just a coincidence.

"It's true," Rarity confessed. "When I touched Macy, I saw one possible outcome of this adventure that ended in my death."

"But how is that possible?" Mel asked. "I thought you were immortal?"

Rarity laughed.

"You of all people should know that doesn't mean unkillable, Charmed one," she turned to meet Mel's eyes. "I believe you've witnessed the death of immortal beings before, have you not?"

"When Macy was the source, sure."

"Then you know it isn't impossible."

"So this cave we're looking for..."

"Is extremely dangerous, yes." Rarity said, reaching out to take Mel's hands. "But going there is the only way to restore the power of three."

"I thought this was about getting home," Mel said, confused.

"Well, yes, of course," Rarity glanced away and back. "You'll get home this way as well. But it's also the first step in restoring your little familial coven's power. Which the entire world needs. It's very important. More important than you could possibly know. So... we really must go."

"And us getting married is... going to be the fastest way to get the information we need?"

"Seems like it." Rarity smiled ruefully. "And look at it this way: if I do die, the whole until death do us part bit is going to come along very quickly. You'll be out of it in no time! Lucky you!"

____________________________________________________________

They were too late to stop it. By the time they arrived, the "wedding" was already happening. Mel and Rarity were in a grouping of several other couples. The ceremony consisted of a simple exchange of oaths, cut palms and the mingling of blood, and a hands fasting. There was no "If any among you has a reason why these two should not wed;" apparently that canoe was supposed to sail before the ceremony. The "happy couple" was surrounded by well-wishers, and it took quite some time for Maggie, Macy and Harry to make their way through the crowd to get to them.

"What were you thinking?" Maggie practically shrieked.

"I'm sorry," Mel said, her expression the picture of delight that it was Maggie calling her out for this. "I just did the exact same thing you almost did, what, three weeks ago? How did you put it? Saved us with a wave of this finger?"

"Oh, it is not the same thing at all and you know it."

"Did you get the location of the cave?" Macy asked, leaning in close.

"They're going to talk to Patkanim, have him tell them the location. Then they're marking it on a map for us. They're bringing us the map in the morning as our wedding gift."

"Well," Harry said, running his hands over his face. "There's some good news, at least."

"Yes," Rarity said with a smile, raising her cup. "We should all probably turn in so we can get an early start, don't you think? But for now, toast to the happy couple? Smiles everyone, wouldn't want them to think we were up to something, would we?"

"No, of course not."

"Cheers!"

"Yes, congrats"

"Oh, yeah, so in love, you two. hurray."

"Don't be a smart-ass, Maggie."

"I'll be a smart-ass if I want to be, Mel."

____________________________________________________________________

It was much later in the night, and Harry couldn't sleep. He couldn't stop thinking about what had transpired on the riverbank, what Macy had said. There were soft snores from all around the bunkhouse. Harry had taken the cot on the ground, while the girls where in the lofted ones. Not to be misogynistic, but it seemed like the best option to keep any drunk and lonely satyrs from falling into their beds in the middle of the night. There was the barest illumination from the moon seeping into the bunkhouse through the slates in the roof.

Macy was in the bunk directly above him, and she must have rolled over onto her stomach in her sleep, because her arm was now hanging over the edge of the bed. He wanted to reach up and take her hand, run his thumb over her palm, ask for her forgiveness. Why, he wasn't sure. It wasn't like she hadn't immediately run into the arms of his Darklighter, though that action did make more sense now that he knew she'd seen him with Abigael. For it to have caused her that degree of pain...

They needed to talk. Sober, and sane, and in their own time. If only life would allow it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, real liberties on whether or not this one counts as meeting the theme of ice skating, haha. But... there was some really dangerous/delicate relationship stuff happening this chapter. They were skating on thin ice, ya'll. ba-dum-cha! *shrugs*  
> Second Chapter of a Two Chapter Day!


	10. Below Zero

Chapter 10: Below Zero

Macy's head was still swimming from all the wine she'd consumed; it had been so much more than the carefully measured and spaced amount she usually allowed herself. She rolled in the bed, her stomach lurching. Macy froze: the last thing she wanted was to hurl over the side of the bunk and onto Harry.

"Oh god," Macy muttered under her breath, squeezing her eyes shut against the morning light and the stabbing pain it caused. She had really made a mess of things last night, more so than they already were. It was bad enough that she was getting her feelings for Harry and Jimmy all mixed up in her own head, but she had smacked him and said everything was his fault, when really what she felt like was that everything was her fault and... Harry wasn't Jimmy. He'd never thrown chakrams at her or shot her with a crossbow. He'd never made her bleed, and he never would.

Harry was safe. Harry was home. And Macy was letting Jimmy and Abigael burrow into her head and poison them... and there was nothing she could do about it, because there was no banishing potion that worked against a rot that had taken root in your own heart. They had planted the seed, and all she wanted to do was dig it out, but the damned thing just kept burrowing deeper until all four of them felt like they were bound together in one tangled, twisted, toxic knot.

"Ready to get up?" Maggie called out, her voice chipper.

"A little quieter, please," Macy groaned, clutching the back of her neck.

"Oh..." Maggie said, peeking over the edge of Macy's bunk. "You don't have a hangover, do you? Rarity and Mel are already off getting the map. They asked us to pack up so we can get on the road ASAP."

"Leave her alone, Maggie," Harry said gently, pulling her back from the bunk. "I'll help pack, and we can see if we can get the ingredients to brew some Hair of the Dog for her."

"No," Macy said, moving to pull herself out of the cot. She winced as her temple gave another painful throb, like she was standing too close to the speaker at a concert. "Please, don't. I deserve this. I'll just go splash some water on my face and I'll be back to help."

"Are you sure?" Harry asked, and she knew he would go brew a batch of that horrendous potion immediately if she allowed it. Really, though, as weird as it sounded, suffering through a hangover was going to make Macy feel better. Penance for poor behavior, she thought to herself. Or, as Dexter Vaughn would say, "you earned this one, kiddo. Time to pay the devil his due."

"Trust me; I wouldn't say no to a pair of sunglasses, though."

___________________________________________________________________________________

"Is it just me, or does it feel like we are heading back the way we came?" Maggie stopped and pulled her pack from her shoulders, setting it down beside the river. "Let me see the map."

"It's too soon to take a break," Mel said, putting her hands on her hips. "You know Patkanim was following one of the rivers back to Toult when he found the cave; we followed one of the rivers on our way to Toult. Part of our path just..." Mel gestured vaguely in the air. "overlapped. It's not weird, Mag."

"Why couldn't we have borrowed some canoes?" Maggie pouted. "It would have been faster."

"Do you know how to steer a canoe?"

"No, but..."

Mel turned around, walking away from her little sister.

"We could have asked someone for help!" Maggie called after her. "They were all very nice!" Maggie hoisted her pack back up and back onto her shoulders, sighing deeply. "Mostly," she muttered to herself.

As Maggie caught up with the group, she noticed them examining the map. She moved closer to try and see what they were looking at.

"Did you see this branching path when we came across on our way through the first time?" Macy asked, holding her hand up to shield her eyes from the sun.

"No," Mel replied. "But we weren't looking for it; we were heading straight to Toult."

Rarity grabbed the map away from Mel and looked at it closer, tracing her fingers lightly over the surface.

"Mmm," she mumbled, "see here, it's fainter than the rest of the lines. I think he, I think Patkanim drew this in himself. It's possible that what we are looking for is not normally visible. I believe the path to our mysterious cave lies off a ghost river."

"A ghost river!" Harry exclaimed, shifting into full Professor Mode. "oh, that is very exciting! Did he draw in any other markers to indicate where the river might start, so we know where to set up camp to wait for it to appear?"

"What's a ghost river?" Maggie asked, looking up at Harry curiously. He turned to her, eyes glowing with an almost childlike glee.

"It is possible that the reason why Patkanim was taken by rapids he was not prepared for on his journey," Harry said excitedly, "Is because they were never meant to be there in the first place. A ghost river is a unique type of haunting. A memory of something that once was. In this case, I am guessing a flood?"

"I mean," Harry babbled on distractedly, "a flood is usually a good guess. It's really in the name. Ghost River. It's not like it's called a ghost puddle!" He was giggling, mostly to himself, until Macy snorted. It startled everyone, and she covered her mouth with her hand. She'd been laughing at his stupid joke, too.

"Right," Rarity said, rolling her eyes. "It looks like he has sketched in a cluster of three trees." 

"Do those branches look odd to you?" Mel asked, pointing at the way they seemed to bend down and touch the ground.

"Maybe he is just a terrible artist?" Maggie suggested.

"When he was telling his story," Mel tilted her head, remembering. "He seemed to focus on the sisters crying by the river; didn't he say they were turned into trees?"

"Weeping trees?" Macy said, her face turning thoughtful. "Do you think... could they be weeping willows? Those don't grow here, though, do they?"

"They do, actually..." Rarity said. "You usually think of Conifer trees in this area, but... there are willows, too."

"So, we follow the river South, following Patkanim's path toward, the..." Maggie squinted at the map. "Sammamish? Until we get to a crossing with three willow trees grouped together, and then, what?" Maggie asked.

"We set camp, and we wait for the ghost river to show itself," Harry said, taking a deep breath. "Hopefully it isn't terribly illusive or short-lived."

"No," Rarity said, certainty in her voice. "It wants us to find it. It will show itself."

"Let's just try not to set up camp in the path of the flood waters," Mel cautioned.

____________________________________________________________________

It took slightly longer to get to the trees than it had taken them to get to Toult. They'd had to travel true South, following a smaller tributary instead of the main river they'd followed on the way up. The willow trees swayed eerily in the night breeze, and it was easy to see how a young boy could think they resembled weeping sisters.

"It's freezing," Maggie said, wrapping her arms tightly around herself.

"Yes," Harry nodded, looking around at everyone and taking note of their breath coming out in little white puffs. "The ghost river is definitely here. There is a supernatural chill in the air." He rubbed his hands together to warm them. "I suggest we set camp, start a fire. Perhaps in the shelter of the willows?"

"What do you think happened here?" Macy asked, shivering..

"We're very close to Lake Washington," Rarity said, pulling out the map to check it. "It's likely at some point it was the source of our flood."

"Lake Washington?" Mel dropped a bundle of driftwood in a pile for Macy to set fire to. "So... we're right on top of Seattle? Rarity, if we did all of this just to end up right back where we started, I swear-"

"Excuse me, did you see any magical artifacts where we started?" Rarity asked, raising an eyebrow imperiously.

"Do you really think I would have dragged you all the way to Toult if what we were looking for was right under our feet when we arrived?"

"Do you want me to answer that?" Mel crossed her arms. 

Rarity grunted and waved her hand at her like she was swatting away a gnat, before moving off to the side to search her pack for something. Macy already had an impressive fire going and was nibbling on a piece of elk jerky. Maggie had one of her boots off and was shaking a pebble out. Harry was wandering the perimeter checking for any signs of the ghost river's location.

"Mel, did you even consummate your marriage, or is the bickering the only thing you two got out of it?" Maggie asked as she pulled her boot back on.

"Oh my god, Maggie!" Mel rolled her eyes. "We just did it to get the map!"

Maggie shrugged.

"I'm just saying, maybe you wouldn't be so grumpy if you..." Maggie did a little shimmy, then leaned over to give Macy a little kick. "You, too, Mace."

Mel just stared at her sister, shaking her head. Maggie laughed.

"Damn, your faces," Maggie laughed. "If nothing else, when we get home, we have got to leave Harry with the WitchBoard and go shopping." She kept doing her little dance and added a suggestive eyebrow waggle. "You know... shopping. For t-o-"

"Oh my god, Maggie," Macy put both hands up to rub at her face, her shoulders shaking with laughter. "We know what you were implying."

"Yeah, but... do you... know," she dragged the last word out suggestively.

Macy laughed so loudly she snorted again.

"Oh, Mag," She smiled broadly at her little sister. "You are killing me."

"I want to kill her," Mel muttered, but she was smiling, too.

Their antics drew Harry's attention away from his work, and he came over to join them.

"What's going on over here?" He asked, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

"Nothing you need to worry about," Macy chuckled, a blush creeping up her neck.

"Well," Maggie, who wasn't going to let it go just yet, couldn't help herself from adding: "That depends on how you want to look at it, Macy..." She grinned wickedly, letting the tip of her tongue playfully peek between her front teeth.

"Oh," Macy spluttered. "That is just... No." She shook her head, curls bouncing. She caught Harry's eyes for just a moment before getting completely flustered and looking away. "I cannot believe you just went there, Maggie."

"I am both confused and incredibly curious now?" Harry laughed, looking between the sisters.

"Maggie wants to go shopping when we get home," Mel deadpanned.

"Oh, is that all?" Harry looked disappointed. "Well, I don't see what's so-"

"It's a sister thing!" Macy said, jumping on the opportunity before Maggie could make it worse.

"Ah, of course," Harry smiled as if understanding completely, while truly not understanding at all. "Carry on."

____________________________________________________________________

As the evening wore on, the temperature continued to drop, but there was still no visible sign of the ghost river.

"Do you think we should call it a night?" Macy asked, stoking the fire with a bit more flame.

"Yes, it's getting late and we'll need the rest," Harry agreed. "But we should take turns on watch in case the ghost river appears. It shouldn't normally be this cold this time of year; it's likely the river's doing."

"I can take first watch," Rarity said. "I don't need rest the way you do, and this cold doesn't affect me the same."

"Yes," Harry nodded. "It's freezing. You girls should probably put your knapsacks together tonight. You'll be warmer."

"You should do the same, Harry," Rarity prodded. "You're just as vulnerable to the elements as they are."

"Yes, well..." Harry winced.

"Oh, please," Mel gave him one of her patented looks. "No one here cares about propriety except you, old man. More bodies, more warmth."

"Yeah," Maggie said excitedly. "Power of Four puppy pile!"

"Are you sure?" Harry asked, looking between the three sisters, pausing on the one who hadn't spoken yet.

"It is really, really cold out here," Macy said, giving him a small smile.

"Quite right, then."

They arranged their blankets in the shelter of the willows so they were protected from the wind, and still near enough to the fire to feel it's heat. After a brief discussion, they decided the best way to distribute warmth amongst themselves was to wrap up like one giant Vera-Vaughn-Greenwood burrito. Macy and Harry each rested sitting upright against the largest of the three trees, as they were the tallest, and Mel and Maggie tucked in against their chests. Then, the four of them huddled together and pulled all the blankets up around themselves.

"Why do you smell like vanilla?" Mel asked, sniffing Harry's chest.

"I have no idea," Harry chuckled, swatting away a bit of her hair that was tickling his face. "I'm really trying not to think about how long it has been since I've had a shower."

"Ugh," Maggie grumbled. "It's the same amount of time since any of us have had a shower. I feel so gross. When we get home, I call dibs on the bathroom. Beauty before age."

"Just don't touch my loofa," Macy said, already nodding off. "Or my body butter."

"But it smells so good."

"Mmm," Harry mumbled in what sounded like agreement. "Listen to your sister, Maggie." He reached out an arm, wrapping it around Macy's waist to pull her and Maggie closer. Macy's head fell onto his shoulder softly in her sleep.

"Awe, look at the happy family," A voice said from the shadows. Rarity glanced up from where she was keeping watch, her green eyes narrowing. The others were far enough away that they didn't notice anything amiss.

"Leave them alone," she said quietly, her words measured.

"I've been watching them as long as you have," the voice said, just as calm.

"You aren't welcome here," Rarity said calmly. "They are under my protection."

"Not for long."

Rarity held up her cut palm, still bearing traces of the blood binding ritual that was part of the Snohomish wedding. The figure in the shadows hissed. 

"That's where you're wrong," Rarity smiled.

"What have you done?" The figure seethed with rage.

"I made sure that I'm a part of her bloodline," Rarity said sadly, but there was a glint of triumph in her eyes as she looked defiantly into the shadows. "No matter what happens now, you'll never be able to touch these girls without bringing down the wrath of my father on yourself." She bared her teeth into the darkness that was creeping slowly towards her. "You know I was always his favorite."

The figure disappeared, and Rarity wiped her hands before releasing a shaky breath.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Author's Note*
> 
> Dear Reader,
> 
> I've updated the tags for this fic after a comment I received on the last chapter. 
> 
> There was something in the last chapter that really upset a reader. I've added it to the tags along with a few other related tags I could think of. The last thing I ever want to do is hurt anyone or trigger them. For that, I am truly sorry. I apologize. 
> 
> I wasn't going to bring the slap back up again, but knowing how much it affected someone, I felt like I had to let you into Macy's head to see why she did it, that it was part of her own complex trauma response.
> 
> Macy and Harry are both dealing with PTSD or PTSD-like symptoms. Trauma responses vary from person to person, and they can make us do ugly, out of character things. I'm not going to shy away from the ugly; I'm not going to excuse it, either, but... these are lovable people with scars. Hopefully at the end of the day, the scales balance and ultimately tip to good, but... spoilers.
> 
> I will try to keep up with the tags when your favorites behave badly, but I cannot promise I won't miss something. I will do my best.
> 
> If you chose to stop reading, that is okay! We're all good! There is tons of amazing fiction out there. Go find what you love! I wish you all the best. For the readers who stick with me: Please, grab some popcorn or the snack and beverage of your choosing, and enjoy the ride.


	11. Pine Tree Cave, Part One

Chapter 11: Pine Tree Cave

Part One: The Splintered Path

"Time to wake up," Rarity said as she gently shook Macy's shoulder. The temperature had dropped even further through the night, and the fire had burned down to ashes. The sky was already beginning to lighten. It was almost dawn. Macy yawned. As she began to stretch, she was startled by the weight against her arm. She shoved against it, only to feel everything around her shift and grumble. It took a moment for her groggy mind to catch up and realize she was all tangled up with her sisters and Harry.

"Issa- time for-" Maggie grumbled from somewhere in the blankets. "Ew... whose foot is this?"

"I believe that is mine," Harry said, giggling against Macy's neck. "Please, stop that. It tickles."

Macy froze, because Harry's breath against her neck also tickled, quite pleasantly, but that was not something she was going to give voice to.

"Maggie," Macy said, trying to keep her voice even. "How did you get down there?"

"I don't know, I was asleep," Maggie rolled her eyes as she managed to untangle herself from the blankets and stand, catching Macy's eye and smirking before she reached a hand down to help up Mel. "It was probably some weird empath thing."

"Why would you... move across all our feet because you're an empath?" Mel asked, giving her an odd look.

"Seriously?" Maggie looked pointedly at Harry and Macy; at some point in the night they'd wrapped both their arms around each other, Macy's left shoulder and cheek pressed against Harry's chest so their bodies formed a little "t." They were already untangling themselves and moving away from each other quickly, acting like it hadn't happened, but... Maggie gave Mel a knowing look. Maggie dropped her voice so only Mel could hear her: "You are too smart to ask such dumb questions. Obviously my empath-brain was telling me to get the F out of the way. Duh."

"Whatever," Mel dusted herself off from a night spent sleeping on the ground, but she was smiling softly. She started to roll up their blankets.

"Don't bother," Rarity said from the other side of the smouldering remains of last night's fire. "We won't be able to take anything with us, and if we leave it out... hopefully any passersby will assume we'll be back any minute and will just leave our things alone."

"What do you mean, we can't take anything with us?" Macy asked. 

"Would you look at that!" Harry exclaimed, looking at something not far in the distance. The sisters turned and, sure enough, there was a rapidly moving river that hadn't been there when they'd fallen asleep.

"The Ghost River," Rarity said, pulling the map from her pocket and looking at it solemnly. "It appeared just a few minutes before I woke you; I believe it's tied to the dawn." Rarity unfolded the map and took a deep breath before continuing. "Did any of you notice what was missing from the map?"

Harry turned to look at Rarity then, confused. He made his way over and grabbed the map from her, studying it once more in the growing light of early morning. His lips narrowed to a thin line.

"There are no markers beyond the trees and the river. There is no marker for the cave," Harry said, a quiet anger just beneath the surface of his words.

"I don't understand," Maggie said. "Patkanim said that he found the cave on his way back to the river... that it was a path he knew well."

"He lied," Harry said easily, turning to look at Rarity. "You knew he lied."

"I had a theory."

"Yes," Harry said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "You always do. And yet you never feel the need to share."

"I didn't see the point until I knew for certain," Rarity said, looking guilty. She walked over to her pack and fished out four small satchels, tossing one each to her companions. "But now I am certain. Hang on to those, and don't open them. Hopefully you won't need them."

"What are they?" Macy asked. She bounced her satchel in her hand, feeling the weight of it's contents and the little jingle they gave off at the movement.

"Passage home, in the event we get separated."

"Passage home?" Mel questioned.

"Patkanim didn't find the cave," Harry said, moving toward the icy waters of the ghost river. "The river took him to the cave."

"Some ghost rivers aren't just minor haunting's," Rarity continued. "Some are distributary channels of a larger supernatural river delta... made temporarily visible for... any number of reasons, really. Who knows why this one is here or why it made itself visible to us now." Rarity twisted her hands nervously. "I certainly don't. You have to believe me, I really don't, Harry. But it's here, now, and we have to take this opportunity while we can."

"What river?" Harry asked, stone-faced.

Rarity swallowed. She looked between all of them. She looked scared.

"What river, Rarity?" Mel asked.

"This feeds into the River Styx."

"No," Harry said firmly. "Absolutely not."

"Harry," Macy said, coming up to stand beside him.

"Whatever it is that's there," he said, shaking his head as he turned toward the sisters. "It's not worth the risk."

"But Patkanim came back," Maggie said. "And we have to, Harry. We have to get back home."

"We can get home," Harry said, looking pointedly at Rarity. "We've been able to get home this whole time. Haven't we, Rarity?"

"We need whatever's in that cave, Harry," Rarity said stubbornly. "They need it."

"Not at the cost of any of their lives."

"It won't come to that."

"You don't know that," Harry said, stepping forward until he was almost toe to toe with the goddess. 

"Patkanim was sent back because he wasn't meant to meet his fate down there," Rarity said calmly. "And neither are they. I know this is difficult for you, but you have to trust me. My uncle isn't the monster some of your stories make him out to be."

"I still bear scars from my time in Tartarus, you know," Harry said, an edge to his tone. Something unreadable passed behind Rarity's eyes. She glanced away.

"Hades isn't in charge down there. Tartarus... is... even we are vulnerable there." She shuddered. "It's an immortal's prison, Harry. I'm sorry you had to experience it. That you came back from that place intact... I... you must swear to me you would never be fool enough to rescue anyone else from that place. No matter who it is." She met his eyes again, that unreadable expression back in place. Harry filed it away as something to figure out later.

"So... the underworld." Mel walked to the edge of the swiftly moving water, ducking down to get a closer look. "It's definitely throwing off a chill," she said, shivering. "We're supposed to just, what? Dive in?"

"You can't seriously be considering it," Harry looked at her like she'd lost her mind.

"This will get me home if things go wrong?" Mel asked, holding up the bag Rarity had tossed her. Rarity nodded.

"Absolutely."

"Okay, then," Mel shrugged. "Let's get this over with." She took a deep breath and, before anyone could stop her, Mel jumped into the rapids.

"Mel!"

"Stop!"

"Well..." Maggie said as she tucked her own bag down the top of her dress. "We can't just let her go in alone. Okay, let's do this! Oh, I really hope there are dry clothes on the other side!" With that, Maggie disappeared into the frothing white water.

"Is it just me, or is it moving faster?" Macy asked as she stared at the swiftly moving currents.

"It's not just you..." Harry said, looking frightened.

"We can't just let them go alone..." Macy said, reaching her hand out toward him like she did the day when the book of shadows was destroyed and a portal opened up in their attic. He hadn't taken her hand that day, but he'd taken it every time it was offered since. This time was no different. Macy couldn't let her sisters take this risk alone, but the fear stuck in the pit of her stomach like a hard, sour lemon.

"I suppose I'll see you on the other side, then," Harry said, squeezing her hand reassuringly. With one final "I can't believe we're really doing this" look, they plunged into the icy cold waters of the ghost river, together.

__________________________________________________________________________________

Macy expected it to feel like drowning, but she only felt like she was in the violent, frigid water for a moment before she felt Harry's hand torn from hers. It was like she was being pulled around the waist by some insistent force, stronger than the currents. It was dizzying, and Macy realized suddenly that she was able to breath easily. She dared to crack her eyes open, but all she could see was a swirling maelstrom of deep blues and purples all around her. She was caught in the pull of some kind of strange magic. 

What was happening?

__________________________________________________________________________________

Harry found himself tossed suddenly and violently onto a dark shore next to Maggie and Mel, who were both coughing up water. Moments later, Rarity was thrown ashore next to them.

"Macy?" Harry called out hoarsely, coughing up a bit of water. He sat up, looking around. She was nowhere to be seen. "Macy?" he called out again, a bit more desperately this time.

"It's okay, Harry," Rarity said, crawling over toward him along the sandy shore. "She's fine. She's gone where she needs to be."

"What do you mean, Rarity?" Harry spoke slowly, his eyes darkening dangerously. "Because I know you aren't saying you knew she'd be separated from the rest of us."

"This is something she needs to do on her own, Harry," Rarity said, putting her hands up in a defensive position.

"You don't know her, Rarity," Harry said with more than a little venom in his tone. "You have no idea what-" he ran a hand through his hair. "Where is she?"

"What's going on?" Maggie asked as she and Mel came over. "Where's Macy?"

"On a personal quest," Rarity said calmly.

"You should have sent one of us with her."

It would be bad enough for any of them to be on their own down here, but for it to be Macy... especially for her to be the only one separated from the group...

"That's not how personal quests work, Harry," Rarity said, rolling her eyes. "Besides, she's not alone."

"Who is she with? What have you done, Rarity?"

"I haven't done anything," Rarity shrugged. "I just saw it, so I know it happens. Makes sense that it's here. And it's entirely necessary. You can be a baby about it, or you can. Trust. Her. Capabilities." She emphasized the last three words by poking Harry solidly in the chest with her index finger.

"I do trust her capabilities!" Harry threw his hands in the air. "It's not like we're in bloody Los Angeles, though, is it? Goddesses. Always withholding important information, leaving you separated from your family in the fucking underworld, then acting like you're the one overreacting!"

Mel and Maggie stared at him with their eyes wide and their mouths slightly ajar, then looked at each other.

"Have you ever heard him curse like that?" Maggie asked.

"Nope," Mel said.

"He dropped an F-bomb." Maggie said. "I don't think he likes your wifey."

"Oh, shit," Mel looked at her hand, the shining owl-shaped ring on her finger. "I forgot about that. That's still a thing, isn't it? Do you think I can get that annulled down here?"

________________________________________________________________________

Macy finally felt her feet touch solid ground. One second, she was floating through space: the next, she was standing. She still felt oddly weightless. Her legs collapsed and she sank heavily to the ground. She was in a small, underground cavern with iridescent walls. The air was damp and she could hear water dripping somewhere in the distance. There was a strange, greenish-glowing lake not far from where Macy landed.

"Bio-luminescence," Macy murmured to herself, before she got to her feet and began looking for the others. 

"Harry?" she called out. "Maggie? Mel?"

The cavern forked three ways; Macy debated staying by the small lake and waiting to see if anyone else showed up, or if she should continue down one of the paths alone. She looked at the pond for a minute, tapping her foot as she thought through her options.

"Maggie and Mel should have already been here," she reasoned.

"Harry?" Macy tried calling out to the whitelighter once more. "He must not be able to hear us call him down here."

Macy sighed, moving to examine the glistening cavern walls.

"Not sure if I want to use my fire to light the way, not knowing what makes the walls shine like this. I don't want to blow myself up."

"May I suggest you use the lake water?" A feminine voice offered from one of the cave's branching pathways. Macy spun around, holding her hand out defensively. The stranger lingered in the shadows, but Macy could see slender arms raise, palms up in surrender.

"I mean you no harm," the voice said calmly. "I only come to offer my help."

"Who are you?" Macy demanded, stepping back from this new person. "What do you want?"

"I'm going to step forward, Macy," the woman said.

A woman slipped from the shadows; she was wearing a long, pale blue silk gown with a matching hooded cloak. The cloak was pulled down low over her head, obscuring her face. She had long, wavy brown hair. Macy didn't let her guard down as the woman came forward.

"Keep your distance," Macy warned.

"Of course," the woman said, reaching up to lower her hood, revealing a face Macy had only seen in photographs.

"Marisol?" Macy asked, incredulous. Marisol smiled sadly.

"Yes. It's nice to finally meet you, Macy."

_______________________________________________________________________

"Are you seeing this?" Maggie asked, her voice tinged with wonder.

"Yeah," Mel replied, lifting the lantern Rarity had provided. The cavern they landed in was enormous; it was impossible to see where it ended or if it even had a ceiling. "This cave must go on forever."

"No, that's not what I'm-" Maggie said, shaking her head. "Look up."

Mel tilted her head back, squinting up into the darkness, trying to see whatever it was Maggie had noticed.

"Woah," Mel said, unable to hide the shock from her voice.

The ceiling of the cavern wasn't covered in darkness like Mel had originally thought. They were surrounded by an entire forest of Pine Trees: upside-down pine trees, clinging to the roof of the cavern like stalactites.

"Oh my god," Mel said, her thoughts spinning rapidly. "You don't think this has anything to do with the tree in the Book of Elders, do you? The Black Amber? The roots in the Command Center's foundation?"

"It seems too much of a coincidence not to be related," Harry lowered his lantern, turning toward Rarity. "Another of your secrets, I presume?"

"Believe what you will, Harry," Rarity said, doing nothing to mask her annoyance. "We're looking for something... keep your eyes out for anything that seems out of place."

"Out of place?" Mel laughed. "You mean more out of place than a massive, upside-down forest?"

"Any hints?" Maggie asked, making a face. "Are we talking magical statue? Magical bookcase? Magical creature? A Starbucks? I could really go for a Starbucks right now..."

"You'll know when you see it. Trust me." Rarity raised her lantern and forged ahead.

"This doesn't seem like the underworld," Mel muttered as she spun around, looking at the giant underground forest. "At least, not any version of it I've ever heard of."

"It's not," Rarity said, sighing. "We're very close, though. If we take the wrong path-"

"Then why aren't we searching for Macy first?" Harry asked, reaching into his pocket to grab the satchel Rarity had given them and waving it in Rarity's general direction. "What good is this going to do her lost down here in some godforsaken cave system? This is payment for Chiron, is it not? for safe passage home, since we're all still alive, in our mortal bodies? If she dies down here, well, to hell with that."

"Macy's not in the caves," Rarity said quietly.

"I'm sorry, what?" Harry asked, crossing his arms.

Mel and Maggie both came up to stand on either side of him, a united front.

"What do you mean, she's not in the caves, Rarity?" Mel asked, her tone deadly.

Rarity sighed.

"You three have to remember that, technically, Macy should not be alive."

"Technically, Rarity, I should not be alive," Harry said coldly.

"No," Rarity said, sounding all her ancient years for the first time. "You are a whitelighter. You were brought back from the cusp of something, but it wasn't death. You are, technically, a supernatural entity. Macy... was brought back from the dead by necromancy. It is an entirely different thing. When she passed through the ghost river, this close to the underworld, that close to a passage to the Styx... she couldn't resist the pull. She went a little further than the rest of us."

"And you knew that would happen," Maggie said, shaking her head with the betrayal of it. "And you let her come anyway."

"How could you?" Mel asked, her voice barely a whisper.

"Because I knew, I know she will come back to us," Rarity said solemnly. "I've made contingency plans."

"You can't possibly know that," Harry said, sinking down into a crouch. He raised his hands to run them over his face. "You may have lead her to her-"

"I didn't."

"Rarity, if we don't get her back, I swear-"

"You will get her back, Harry."

Mel wheeled around to face the goddess, pushing her index finger right into the center of her chest and meeting her gaze with a fierce glare.

"Yeah," Mel said ferociously. "Well, if he doesn't kill you, I will. Are we clear?"

"Yes," Rarity said, dipping her head in acknowledgment.

Maggie came up beside her sister, wiping the tears from her face. She put her hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes at Rarity.

"And I'll help her," she said seriously. "I don't know how we'll do it. It may take all three of us, and it may take everything we've got, but if we don't get our sister back, we will end you for this."

"I believe you, little one." Rarity smiled sadly. "I just wish you had more faith in me."

______________________________________________________________________________

"Whatever you do," Marisol cautioned as she dipped some of the glowing lake water into a lantern attached to the end of a long pole, "do not consume any of this water or allow it to splash onto you."

"Why not?" Macy asked, curiosity warring with distrust of the woman who claimed to be her mother.

"I don't think I should tell you."

"I'm not going anywhere with you if you don't," Macy said plainly. "I'm so tired of being lied to. I'm so sick of people keeping things from me for my own good." 

First her father, raising Macy to believe her mother was dead and that she was an only child. Then, the two of them together keeping the fact that she and her sisters were witches from them. Lying to Maggie about who her father was. Bringing Macy back from the dead through necromancy, with demon blood. The lies of Dexter Vaughn and Marisol Vera were so numerous, Macy doubted she and her sisters had come close to learning them all.

"God," she said, rubbing her eyes. "How do I even know you are who you say you are?"

"You don't, but I am," Marisol said, moving away from the lake. "This is Lethe water. The smallest drop could erase countless memories. You may lose something as insignificant as the memory of watching a film, and you'd simply get to enjoy it for the first time all over again. Or... you could lose an entire lifetime of Christmases with your father. It's not worth the risk."

"Then why are we taking it?"

"Because your initial guess was correct," Marisol smiled. "The glow from these walls is being caused by a mix of phosphorus, and if you use your pyrokinesis..." Marisol used her free hand to mimic an explosion.

"So... glowing, memory-erasing water lanterns it is," Macy shrugged, taking the pole from her mother. "Which way should we go?"

"Not the way I came," Marisol replied. "But other than that... trust yourself. I'm here to help, and to spend time with my daughter. I'm not here to tell you what to do."

"So, you can't answer just anything I ask you?" Macy said, reading between the lines.

"No," Marisol laughed. "I don't know everything. I only know what I did while I was alive, and a bit about how things work down here."

Macy took a deep breath, trying to clear her mind. Should they follow the path to the left, or the right? Once again, Macy found herself longing for her dark sight. It was then that she felt a subtle shift in the air, a whisper of wind tugging gently at one of the curls she's tucked behind her left ear.

"Left," Macy said decisively, striding forward and away from her mother. Marisol paused for a moment, lingering back at the fork as she glanced toward the other path. Marisol let out a tiny, sad sigh. Then, her eyes caught sight of a thin, golden thread winding it's way up through the center path; whatever it was, it was course-correcting itself. The golden thread paused only for a moment, seemingly acknowledging Marisol's presence, then zipped along the left path after Macy.

"Good to know you're not fickle," Marisol laughed, following after Macy and the strange golden thread.

_____________________________________________________________________

As they moved deeper into the cavern, the tops of the trees seemed to be closing in on their heads, making Mel feel claustrophobic.

"Are we walking up an incline, or are the trees getting taller?" She wondered out loud.

"Maybe both?" Maggie said, looking around.

It definitely felt like they were being crowded together, like they had fewer options for which direction they could go. No one wanted to talk to Rarity, which was making things awkward, because they couldn't deny they needed her knowledge down here. For now, at least, she wasn't pushing any of them.

"Ladies!" Harry called frantically. "I think I may have found what we're looking for!"

He was standing beside a particularly tall tree that nearly brushed the floor of the cavern. Etched into it's broad trunk was what appeared to be a door with strange runes covering the surface.

"What is that?" Maggie asked.

"It looks like some ancient dialect of Dwarvish," Harry said, studying the runes. "But it's definitely out of place. I'm going to go out on a limb and say we have to chant the words to unlock the door so we can go through it?"

"Out on a limb?" Maggie repeated, rolling her eyes. "Really, Harry? Now is not the time for Dad jokes."

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Do you read ancient Dwarvish, Harry?" Mel asked, afraid she already knew the answer.

"No," Harry sighed. "I do not."

The three of them turned to look at Rarity, who stepped forward, raising her lantern.

"Happy to be of assistance," she said simply. As she scanned the words, she cringed. "Oh, this isn't good."

"What is it?" Mel asked, crossing her arms. "Can't read it? I thought you knew everything?"

"Oh, I can read it," Rarity said, pinching the bridge of her nose. "It's... this is Svartalfr. I think we may be dealing with Norse dark dwarves."

"Dark as in..." Mel looked from Rarity to Harry, who looked like he'd just swallowed a turnip.

"They won't kill us," he said, scrunching his eyebrows. "But they aren't known for their kindness. They..."

"Are nasty, selfish, self-serving, vulgar, and cruel for their own amusement," Rarity filled in. "No need to sugar-coat it. If this is our path forward... I apologize for whatever these assholes are about to show you."

With that, Rarity quickly said the words that were on the door. They sounded harsh and oily on her tongue, but they worked. The outline morphed into a functioning door that swung outward, but no stairs appeared, leaving it floating several feet above ground.

Harry sighed and took a knee, clasping his hands together and motioning for the girls to go on ahead.

"Come on," he said. "I'll give you a boost."

"I'm not that short!" Maggie whined, but she took him up on his offer and let him lift her up so she could grab easily onto the door frame. Mel followed, then Rarity. Harry pulling himself up easily, closing the door behind them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To Be Continued in Pine Tree Cave, Part Two: All Roads Lead to Hell.  
> Will be posted either later tonight or tomorrow.  
> This is a 3 Part Chapter.


	12. Pine Tree Cave, Part Two

Chapter 12: Pine Tree Cave

Part Two: All Roads Lead to Hell

Macy and Marisol stepped from the cave into a large atrium with white marble columns. Each column bore a torch lit with eerie blue flame. In the center of the atrium was a small pedestal. Macy approached it curiously. There was a small black mirror, shrouded in smoke, sitting on the pedestal.

"What's this?" Macy asked, curious. She made no move to touch the object, having seen enough movies to know better.

"One of many paths for you to regain your powers," Marisol said. "Tezcatlipoca's Smoking Mirror; much like Elder Bahri's Needle, it would resonate with your affinity for The Dark Sight. If you were to lay claim to it, that gift would grow stronger, expanding in ways you haven't even begun to imagine."

"Before I came down this path," Macy said, "I wished I still had the Dark Sight, and... I felt something pulling me here..." and the moment the words left her mouth, she knew them to be true.

"Yes, an echo of what you will feel when you're..." Marisol hesitated. "above ground." She finished, clearly hedging.

"When I'm...above ground?" Macy asked, her tone seeking clarity. Marisol looked away. She was hiding something. "No more secrets, Marisol. I'm not doing this with you, you're telling me everything."

"I can't, Macy," Marisol said, regret in her eyes. "I'm sorry. This is a fine line and I cannot risk it."

"So... I'll have the chance to get my Dark Sight back," Macy said, nodding.

"Among other things," Marisol confirmed. "But at a cost. Always be mindful of the cost, Mija."

Macy looked around the room, noting the path branched in even more directions here.

"It looks like we can take 6 different paths here," she sighed. "Any hints? Which path I should take? Say, if I want all my powers back?"

Marisol gave her a look that said, "nothing is ever that easy."

"Tell me about your life," Marisol prodded gently.

"Really?" Macy turned to look at Marisol, frustrated. "I'm trapped here, without my family, and you want to talk about my life?"

Marisol swallowed hard.

"I'm sorry. I just wanted to know you," Marisol said, searching Macy's eyes.

"Yeah, well... you opted out of that a long time ago, didn't you?" Macy replied, shutting her out.

Macy picked a path at random and began walking down it, not particularly caring if her tour guide followed her or not.

_________________________________________________________________________________

The door swung shut, leaving Mel, Maggie, Harry and Rarity in perfect darkness.

"Well, this is great," Mel said sardonically. "Anyone know why our lanterns aren't working?"

"No talking, please!" A graveling voice shouted from somewhere in the darkness.

"What the-" Maggie's voice came from somewhere to Mel's right. "Okay, that wasn't any of us."

"Obviously that was a dwarf," Harry's voice responded from somewhere nearby.

"Alright," another irritated voice said, this one like shredded glass. "We're going to have to ask that you please silence your witches for the duration of the feature presentation for the enjoyment of the rest of the audience, or we are going to have to remove you from the theater."

"You can't remove them from the theater, Clarence," the first voice said. "They're the entertainment."

"What?" Maggie's voice spoke, again, indignant. "I am a very good singer, but I didn't agree to entertain anyone, okay?"

"Alright, alright, alright," The shredded-glass voice, Clarence, said. "What do we have to do to get you witches to shut up so we can get on with it?"

"Perhaps turn on the lights for a moment and explain what is about to happen to us?" Rarity finally spoke up.

"Fine!" 

The lights rose just enough for them to be able to make out the barest shadows of movement around them, while hearing muttered complaints about "humans," and "terrible eyesight."

Mel looked around the dim room, and they were, indeed, standing in the back of a very old-fashioned movie theater. There were about 15 rows of seats, all packed with knobby looking, soot-covered dwarves who were all turned towards them, looking impatient. There was a small projector at the back of the room, with four human-sized chairs for them to sit in. Mel looked down to see one of the dwarves standing at the projector, staring at them expectantly.

"Did you want any refreshments before we began, your highnesses?" He asked, clearly annoyed, "or may we begin?"

"Begin what, exactly?" Harry asked pointedly.

"You spoke the words, and you didn't know what they meant?" The dwarf asked, his eyes sparkling with gleeful malice. He turned to look at the gathered crowd, letting out a boisterous laugh. "They spoke the words, and didn't know what they were agreeing to!"

The audience crowed.

"Well, too late now, kids. You're our entertainment for the evening. Time to pay the piper if you're going to pass through our lands. Who's up first?" He held out a small clip that was attached to the projector. "Or do you want to eenie-miney-moes for it?"

"I'll go first," Mel said, rolling her eyes. 

"Great!" The dwarf said, handing her the clip. "This here goes on your finger. Any one will do. Just have a seat. This won't hurt a bit. Well, not much. Well, not physically. I don't know, how tough are you?"

Once the clip was in place on Mel's finger, the dwarf, Clarence, flipped a switch on the projector. As the screen lit up, all the dwarves in the audience reached forward and pulled a similar device from the armrest of their own seats and clipped it on their fingers, staring eagerly up at the screens.

"I've got a really bad feeling about this," Harry muttered.

The screen was suddenly filled with images of Mel and Niko. Words flashed up on screen: 

Niko Hamada, true love? Another word appeared, flashing large enough to take up the whole screen: BETRAYAL. The moment that would be seared on Mel's memory forever played out in full in front of her; when she erased their entire history together. Then again: BETRAYAL. The moment when she kissed Jada for the first time. Then again, when her memories started to come back and she got so sick. As the memories slowed, for there were no more, echoes and hateful words danced in a slow ticker tape across the screen: Melonie Vera: Destroyer of Love. You do not deserve to love or be loved. You are a cheater and a betrayer of trust, everything you touch turns to dust. Worms and pestilence, death and heartache follow in your wake. This curse, you've brought upon yourself.

The dwarves in the crowd sighed, some even licking their lips.

"No," Rarity said softly.

"Oh, that was delicious," Clarence purred. "In the old days, we'd compel our visitors to spend a night with us, betraying their loves that way, but... making them relive a betrayal..." he sighed deeply. "just as good. Plus, this way, we can all get a taste. Who's next?"

__________________________________________________________________________

Macy made her way down the twisting, turning paths, blindly choosing directions, no longer pausing to think. Marisol was still following, but they hadn't spoken for some time. She knew she was being unfair, that this was an opportunity she wasn't likely to ever get again, but she couldn't help the way the anger welled up in her. It didn't matter the reasons; her mother had abandoned her. Her father had sent her away to boarding school. Her life had been built on lies. Even now, the people in her life lied to her. Macy paused. She could feel something down the path to her right pulling at her.

As Macy drew closer, she noticed a small alcove shrouded in purple mist. It was enticing, alluring, insistent. There was something so familiar about the way it felt, the way it called to her. As Macy drifted closer, she caught a glimpse of another pedestal in the small alcove with a wickedly sharp dagger sitting atop. Suddenly, Macy felt hands grabbing her upper arms, yanking her back.

"Macy, stop!" Marisol said sharply. "That is not for you!"

"I'm sorry," Macy said, whipping around and leveling Marisol with a withering gaze. "I thought you weren't here to tell me what to do?"

"Do you have any idea what that is? Who it is tied to? What power that is?" 

"No," Macy said, turning back to look at the dagger longingly. "But I want it."

"Trust me," Marisol said, grabbing Macy's arms and shaking her forcefully. "You do not want that. That is Nemesis' Dagger. If I have ever made you feel that deeply wronged..." she trailed off, her voice full of regret. "Macy, I am so sorry. But please, never let your heart become that filled with malice, rage and... vengeance."

"It feels so familiar," Macy said softly.

"For it to have called to you that strongly," Marisol said, fear in her voice, "you may have already gotten close to it in your... time. You'll have to be extremely careful. Macy, we all have darkness in us, but this... is something you do not want to succumb to."

"Let's move away from here," Macy said, letting out a shaking breath.

"Agreed, but where to?"

"I don't know," Macy put a hand on the wall. She was exhausted. "All I want to do is go home."

"What is home?" Marisol asked, her voice suddenly very serious.

Macy remembered the bag of coins in her pocket. She forgotten all about them. They felt very warm and heavy. How could she have forgotten about them? But did she want to go back home without her family? Abandon their quest? Leave them without knowing if they were safe? She thought of Maggie's inner strength, Mel's courage in the face of any challenge, Harry's faith in their family.

"I just want to be wherever they are right now, Marisol," Macy said with absolute certainty. 

Macy felt something slither around her wrist. She jerked her arm back from the wall to shake it, afraid of what underworld creature might have crawled on her down here. Marisol laughed.

"It's okay, Macy, Relax," she said. "It's been following you for a while. It was just waiting for confirmation that you deserved it's loyalty. I guess you do."

Macy looked down, noticing a delicate golden bracelet circling her wrist. She turned her arm, but couldn't find a clasp anywhere.

"What is it?" She asked.

"Ariadne's Thread," Marisol said. "You wanted a way out of this, and now you have one. Now, you'll always be able to find your way home. Wherever or, in this case, whomever home may be."

"Is this my...magical talisman?" Macy asked, smiling at her mother. "Does this mean I have my powers back?"

"No," Marisol said, reaching out to grab both of Macy's wrists and bringing them together in front of her. It was such an oddly familiar gesture; Macy wished she could remember why. "I have a feeling you are going to need it for something very important, though. Just keep in mind all the things thread is used for, and you should be fine."

"Right- prophecy was your thing," Macy looked at her with narrowed eyes.

"Yes, but unfortunately, prophecy can be vague as shit." Marisol shrugged. "Sorry, mija."

"Did you ever share any of your prophecies with your friend, Rarity?"

"Ah, Rarity," Marisol looked chagrinned. "That's complicated, Macy. You all have figured out who she is, right?"

"Mel said she thought she might be Athena."

"Mel is right, and I do believe she gave you one of her symbols in case you ran into trouble down here. Thankfully, you haven't needed it."

"So," Macy rolled the thin golden thread of her new bracelet between her fingers as they walked. "Why were you such good friends with Athena, and why is she with us now?"

"It's a long story, but..." Marisol looked like she was debating how much she could safely say. "In many ways, Rarity... Athena, is family. I can't tell you much, Macy. This... it's complicated. The moment you are in now may very well be the beginning and the end of everything with her and our family. But you have to keep in mind that..."

"She knew when she met us that Mel was a time witch..." Macy said, filling in the blanks. "She said that one day, she'd be able to use her powers to travel through time."

"Yes," Marisol laughed. "You catch on quickly. This was Mel's first time meeting Rarity, but this was not Rarity's first time meeting Mel. She's known her for thousands of years, one day at a time, of course. Imagine being an immortal goddess, and having someone pop up out of nowhere one day, bearing your symbol, professing to know you, and demanding your help? Athena did help Mel, of course, and then she set out to uncover the mystery that was the Very Bossy Time Witch."

"Yup, that sounds like Mel," Macy said. 

"Anyway," Marisol continued, "After a number of these visits, some of which Mel brought company on, Athena got curious enough to try and pay her a visit in her own time, but for some reason she was blocked. She was never able to get past me. She assumed there must be some sort of curse or compulsion in place, something that prevented her from ever visiting the Time Witch herself. So... throughout her long immortal life, she watched and she waited for the days when she got to help Mel and her family on their little adventures; watched her grow older, until eventually she realized she never saw her past a certain age. She knew the Time Witch must have died. She was very quiet that day, in my office, because it was an answer I couldn't give her. And now all of you are here, at the time and place where she believes she'll finally get the answer to her question: why? The reason for all of it. Whatever it was that set the wheel in motion."

Macy had stopped walking. She was staring at her mother's face as she talked about her friend.

"She's in love with her," Macy said. It wasn't a question.

"I believe so, yes," Marisol replied.

"And that doesn't bother you?"

"Why would it?" Marisol said, looking at Macy ruefully. "I don't know if Mel ever returned her feelings, but I know my friend. To know that she was watching out for my daughter after my death? That Mel lives to a ripe old age, old enough to be called a crone? That she had adventures all throughout time? To have heard stories of all the people she saves? That was a gift, Macy."

_________________________________________________________________________

Dwarves were slumped over in their seats in ecstasy as Clarence reached over to remove the device from Harry's hand.

"Mmmm," he hummed to himself. "The freshest betrayals are the best; especially when they come with such a nice dose of self-loathing. Thank you for that."

Maggie reached over and grabbed Harry's hand, giving it a squeeze. She had been forced to relive her betrayal of Lucy's friendship when she'd kissed Parker. The dwarves had managed to twist it, tie it into a daisy chain of events leading to Parker's death, but she knew in her heart that it wasn't her fault. But her sister, and Harry...

Maggie could still see the latest words that had flashed on the screen: "You drove her to the darkness, to your Darklighter, with your weakness. You are not enough, will never be enough. You deserve this pain, and more. You have been weighed in the balance and have been found wanting."

Maggie looked from Harry to Mel; both looked hollow from their experience. She wanted nothing more than to tap into her empath powers, to find that spark that let her expand them outward and use them to be a balm to their spirits, to "let love be her strength," as Harry had once told her. But the power wouldn't come.

"Your turn," Clarence said, moving toward Rarity with the device.

"Good luck with that," Rarity said, smirking. "If you're feeding off betrayal, I'm afraid I'm rather known for my fidelity."

Clarence clipped the device onto Rarity's finger eagerly. The screen went fuzzy for a moment, then a series of words appeared in large, bold font:

COMING ATTRACTION: please see an attendant for MorningstarVision.

"Oh, We've got a live one!" Clarence shouted, motioning frantically for someone in one of the wings of the auditorium. "Georgie, get the glasses out for everyone, quickly. We'll need to sync them before they leave. Nothing like a road show."

Another dwarf, Georgie, waddled over carrying a wooden crate full of black Wayfarers. He brought them to Clarence, who plucked a pair off the top of the pile first before waving him off to start handing the rest out to the crowd. Clarence pulled a pair of tweezers from his work apron and used them to remove a small disk, no bigger than a grain of rice, from the projector. He placed the disk against the side of the glasses, and within moments, the dark glasses became clear; more like a pair of Hipster Horn-rims than cheap summer sunglasses.

"Perfect," Clarence said, pleased with his work. He turned and handed the glasses to Rarity. "Put those on, and don't even think of removing them, or the deal is off. You owe us a feast of 4 betrayals. If we don't get them, we'll take it from you the old fashioned way." Clarence licked his lips suggestively and stroked his mangy grey beard. "Not that I'd mind the old fashioned way... you're all very pretty. Very pretty."

"On that note..." Maggie said, putting her free hand to her mouth. "I'm going to vomit."

Rarity grabbed the glasses from the dwarf more forcefully than necessary, shoving them on her face. For once, she didn't have a clever retort, which made Maggie examine her more closely. Her normally golden skin looked pale. Maggie's empath powers had been on the fritz lately, but she was picking up one thing loud and clear: Dread.

"Are we free to go?" Rarity asked, looking at Clarence with disdain.

"Of course," the dwarf said with a sly smile. "But remember," he said, putting on a pair of wayfarers and tapping them with one finger. "We'll be watching."

They stumbled out of the theater and into a dark grove filled with trees and night blooming flowers. Whatever magic had been in that projector had not only turned their thoughts against them, it had also physically drained them. Mel, Maggie and Harry were all stumbling slightly, needing to help support each other to make it out of the theater and along the garden path.

"At least everything is right side up here," Mel said as she looked around. "It's still so dark, though."

"I'm just glad we're out of there," Rarity sighed. "I think I know what we're after now. Dark Dwarves, Four Betrayals-"

"Yes, about that-" Harry said, pulling away from Mel and Maggie. "Don't think it escaped our notice, Rarity. Betrayal to come? Really?"

"It's not what you think, Harry."

"It never is, is it?" Harry scoffed. "Do you take me for a fool? You really expect us to continue on this journey with you when they as good as told us you plan on turning on us down here?"

"You trust them over me?" Rarity laughed bitterly. "I don't believe this." Rarity walked away, searching for something in the grove.

"Where are you going?" Harry called after her.

"I'm looking for something to light our way," Rarity yelled back over her shoulder. "You lot might as well sit down and have a rest. You look terrible." 

"Do you really think she's going to betray us?" Maggie asked, sitting down on a moss-covered log.

"Again?" Harry clarified. "Betray us again, you mean? Fidelity, my ass."

"You heard what they said," Mel sat next to her, putting her head in her hands. "I don't see how it means anything else."

"We can't let our guard down around her," Harry said. "I hate that we need her down here at all, but under no circumstances should any of us be alone with her. We need to watch each other's backs."

_____________________________________________________________________________________

As they reached another fork in the road, Ariadne's thread spun to the left on Macy's wrist.

"This is so cool," Macy said under her breath. "I'll never need to use GPS again."

They'd been traveling for what felt like hours, and gradually Macy had opened up to her mother, telling her about her life with her sisters. Marisol seemed to appreciate hearing everything, the good and the bad. She offered small pieces of advice here and there; nothing too intrusive; she said it wasn't her place to interfere with their lives now that she was gone, but since the Book of Shadows was destroyed, there were some words of wisdom she felt necessary to pass along.

"Macy?"

"Yes?" Macy turned to look at Marisol, who had paused at the threshold of the cave. She was looking at her wistfully. "What is it, Marisol?"

"We've reached the end of the road, I'm afraid."

"What do you mean?" Macy asked.

"This is as far as I can go," Marisol pointed a short distance ahead. "You'll find a door at the end of this tunnel. It's an exit from the Underworld. The thread will lead you the rest of the way, but I can go no further. You remember the story of Orpheus and Eurydice? As soon as you pass this bend, you can't look back. We have to say our goodbyes here."

"Oh," Macy paused, taking a deep breath. "Oh." She looked around for somewhere to set down the lantern. "Is there somewhere I can put this? I want to give you a hug."

Marisol smiled. There were tears in her eyes.

"Just set it down very carefully," she laughed, waving her daughter towards her. 

Macy set used the long pole to set the Lethe water torch down gently, then laid the pole beside it. Then, she was hugging her mother for what was the first time she could remember.

"I love you, Sweetheart," Marisol said, her words spoken softly against Macy's hair.

"I..." Macy took a deep breath, choking back a sob. "I love you, too, Mom. It was so good to finally meet you."

________________________________________________________________________________________

Rarity returned to the group holding 4 jars of swirling, golden light.

"Be very gentle with these," she said, handing them each one. "We have to let them go before we leave the grove. They've agreed to help us until then, though."

"They?" Maggie asked, peering into the jar. The swirling light coalesced into the figure of a small woman; she twirled once, giving Maggie a tiny bow before returning to her formless state. "Oh, what are they?"

"Nymphs," Rarity said nonchalant. "There aren't many here; they aren't big fans of the dark. But all trees need tending, so they volunteered."

"And you've trapped them in jars for your convenience," Harry said derisively. "How like an Elder of you, Rarity."

"Oh, get over yourself, Harry," Rarity said, setting her jar on the ground. "You know what? Fine. Let's just do this now. None of you trust me. Why not! You all need to get over yourselves!" She threw her hands up in the air, turning to pace away from the group, before she spun back around, hands in her hair.

"Well, not you, Maggie, you're a doll. I have no idea how you have such a handle on who you are at your age, but... never change." Rarity gave her a small smile.

"Oh," Maggie said quietly. "Uh, thanks?"

"But you two!" Rarity said, zooming in on Mel and Harry. "And Macy, if she were here, but she's not. I've had enough!"

"Harry," Rarity walked towards him, threading her fingers together in front of herself like a beggar on the steps in front of a church. "You are absolutely infuriating. I don't know what the Elders took from you, but you are not incomplete. You are kind, and selfless, and nurturing... but you are also annoying and reckless and so incredibly dense sometimes. You are so fully human, Harry! You are more human than any other person I have ever met, you colossal moron!"

"And Mel," Rarity turned to look at her, hesitating before she stepped toward her, taking her face between both her hands and looking straight into her eyes. "You are not cursed. I know you've been through a lot, but... Please, Mel. Don't let what happened with Niko, Jada and Kat close your heart to love. You have no idea how utterly amazing you are. Melonie Vera, you are Perfect. You deserve an epic love, no matter what those dwarves said. Please, know that you deserve it."

"Now, I don't care if all of you hate me right now," Rarity said, turning and picking up her jar. She quickly wiped away a tear before looking at them over her shoulder. "But I won't have you wallowing and hating yourselves. We're almost there, I think. Come on."

"Interesting pep talk," Maggie said.

"Yes," Harry said, looking perplexed. "I think she was trying to make us feel better, but... I don't feel better. She called me a moron."

"She called me perfect," Mel said, touching the side of her face. She shook her head. "Nope. We still hate her. She lost Macy. Right?"

"Yeah," Maggie said, but she didn't sound certain. "Let's go."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To Be Continued in Pine Tree Cave, Part Three: Choose


	13. Pine Tree Cave, Part Three

Chapter 13: Pine Tree Cave 

Part Three: Choose

It didn't take long for them to reach the end of the grove with the Nymph's help. They'd led them to a stone archway covered with climbing black roses.

"Thank you, friends," Maggie said as they opened the jars and released them back into the forest. The tiny creatures gave them a final bow before dancing back to their trees.

"Well, that doesn't look ominous at all," Mel said, touching one of the roses gingerly.

Rarity chuckled.

"Relax," she said, running one of the delicate petals between her fingers. "These are Persephone's. This is one of the Iron Queen's gateways. Come along."

"Into the Underworld?" Harry said, his interest piqued.

"Not necessarily," Rarity said. "I may have liberated a few of her tokens the last time I saw her... slipped one into the Satchel I gave Macy. If she's managed to make her way out of the Underworld, these roses will start appearing as a way to help us find her. It's a little trick Persephone came up with eons ago so she and Hades could meet up during the 6 months she was technically supposed to be spending with her mother. Like a... sexy version of Hide and Go Seek."

"Awe," Maggie smiled. "That's adorable!"

"So," Mel pinched one of the roses. "if we go through these gates, they could lead us to Macy, or they could lead us to Persephone and Hades in the middle of-"

"Yeah."

"What are we waiting for?" Harry asked, walking through the gate.

"Okay, then," Mel said. "let's hope it's Macy."

"Did I mention: adorable," Maggie swooned.

__________________________________________________________________________________

The Iron Queen's Gateway acted like a portal. Stepping through it was like falling through a thicket. The overwhelming scent of roses surrounded Harry, the scratchy leaves tickling his skin. He could feel the thorns tugging playfully at his clothing, but thankfully they didn't scratch or draw blood. There was something coy and almost sensual about the whole experience: not surprising if Persephone had designed the entire thing as a sort of game for Hades. He could even hear her calling him, a soft, seductive whisper of words. "Come and find me..." Harry wanted to laugh at it; the almost careless cruelty, given his feelings for the woman he was chasing after. The need for her to be on the other side of this gateway was bordering on desperation. If they didn't find her soon...

_________________________________________________________________________________

As soon as Macy was in this new section of caves, her Lethe water lantern seemed to lose it's magical glow. The walls were also a different material here.

"What do you think, thread?" Macy wondered aloud. "Do you think it's safe to use fire to light my way here?" She chuckled to herself, biting her lip. "I've got to find my family soon; I'm talking to a bracelet."

Macy felt along the cave wall, pulling her fingers away to examine the sediment in the dim light. It didn't look to be anything more than a mixture of clay and limestone, so Macy summoned a tiny spark with a snap of her fingers. When nothing spectacular happened, she summoned a larger fireball in her hands, casting a warm light in front of her.

"Ah, that's much better."

Ariadne's Thread rolled itself gently forward on her wrist, letting her know she was heading in the right direction. As she walked, the narrow tunnel began to widen, the ground sloping ever so slightly upward. Macy shivered; she couldn't seem to shake the feeling she was being watched. She knew she was just being paranoid; there was nothing else down here. She fiddled with the bracelet at her wrist, feeling a small amber bead she hadn't noticed before. Grabbing it, Macy slowly unwound Ariadne's Thread from her wrist.

"Well, hello," she smiled, examining the thread, now a short length of golden rope. "What can I do with you like this? Can I use you for defense? Like a whip?" The thread gave a small jerk at that, quickly retreating around her wrist; the tiny piece of amber disappearing. "Huh. I guess you didn't like that."

"There's nothing here," Harry's voice came echoing from somewhere up ahead. "Just more caves."

"At least it smelled really good," Maggie's voice echoed. "I'll travel by Persephone portal over dwarf hole any day."

Macy spun around, looking for the source. She was standing in a long hall; they must be in a parallel cavern, or somewhere up ahead. She looked to the bracelet, but for the first time since it had slithered onto her arm, it wasn't moving. She had to let them know she was here.

"Maggie! Harry!" Macy called out, hoping they'd be able to hear her, too.

"Macy?" They called out at the same time.

"Yes!" Macy said, relieved. "I'm here! Somewhere. I can hear you, at least. Is Mel with you?"

"Right here, Macy." Mel's voice came through the caverns.

"Oh, thank god," Macy said, letting out a breath she didn't even know she'd been holding. "Stay where you are. I'm coming from a dead end. If you're at a fork in the path, I may get to you first."

With that, she was running. Macy didn't care if she tripped. From where she was, there was only one direction to go: forward.

"Macy," Harry's voice called out from somewhere in the caves. "You can't expect us to just stand here and wait for you. We're coming to find you."

"Harry Greenwood," Macy huffed, short of breath. "Don't you dare. You three stay together. I have a... It's hard to explain. I can find you faster than you can find me. Stay put!"

"I've been telling you to trust her," Rarity's voice echoed through the walls.

Macy finally came to a branching pathway. She'd barely skidded to a halt when Ariadne's Thread gave a violent spin to the right.

"Ouch."

"Are you alright?"

"Fine," Macy said, rubbing her wrist. "I think I must be getting close."

The bracelet started to roll forward again, spinning faster and faster as Macy ran.

"Hey, settle down, Ariadne," Macy laughed. "I'm happy, too, but you're going to give me rope burn."

Macy rounded two more corners before she came face to face with the most beautiful sight she'd ever seen. Mel, Maggie and Harry were standing there looking dirty, exhausted, and overjoyed to be reunited with her. She paused long enough to make sure they weren't a trick of her imagination, then she crashed into them for a family hug. Rarity hung back, watching from a distance.

"We were so worried, Macy, we thought-"

"I don't know what you've seen down here, but this place is bananas, yo."

"I met mom," Macy said, pulling back to look at her sisters. Mel and Maggie shared a quick look, before looking back to her.

"Oh my god, Mace," Maggie said, smiling broadly. "You met mom?"

Macy nodded.

"She says hello, and she loves you, and she's proud."

Mel and Maggie hugged Macy even tighter.

After a short rest and some catching up, they continued on with their quest, Rarity leading the way. Macy fell into step beside her.

"So..." Macy began, checking to see that they were out of earshot of her sisters and Harry. "Athena."

"You had a nice conversation with Marisol, I see?" Rarity sighed.

"I did," Macy replied, running a bit of flame across her knuckles. "Now I'm wondering... all those times you've talked about your family... how many times were you talking about the Greek gods, and how many times were you talking about us?"

Rarity let out a bitter bark of laughter.

"Macy... don't."

"Am I wrong?"

Rarity rolled her head from side to side like she was trying to crack it. She adjusted the glasses she was wearing, and Macy wondered when and where she had gotten them.

"I have been walking a fine line for a long time," Rarity said carefully. "You know I am often called the goddess of strategic warfare. It's for a reason. I've been... sitting on the fence. Cleverly avoiding having to make a choice." She smiled tightly. "I'm afraid the time limit on my little tricks is about to expire. I'm going to have to pick a side, Macy."

"You mean... us or them?"

Rarity sucked in a sharp breath.

"Is that why I've felt like I was being watched this whole time?" Macy asked, narrowing her eyes.

"No," Rarity said, laughing. "That was probably my uncle. He and Persephone wanted to adopt you when you were a baby, but then your parents resurrected you. He was probably just checking up on you when he felt you back in the Underworld; probably would have tried to tempt you to stay, but he felt your determination to get back to them." She nodded to the group behind them.

"Wait, what?" Macy shook her head, shocked. She didn't want to say it, but the presence she'd felt hadn't felt benevolent. This information was too interesting not to lean into, though. "I... Hades wanted to... adopt me? Is that a thing?"

"Oh, absolutely. You're incredibly powerful, Macy. You would have made a powerful immortal, as well." Rarity shrugged. "The world needs the Charmed Ones, though. Far more than an Eldrich demi-goddess."

"I... can't say that I dislike being alive," Macy said, her thoughts whirling with a whole new world she hadn't even known was possible.

"Are you saying you don't regret the missed opportunity to strike fear into the hearts of mortal men?" Rarity grinned.

"Well," Macy chuckled. "Maybe a few of them."

They walked a bit longer in amicable silence before Macy decided she had to say something again.

"Rarity- why haven't you told Mel?"

"She can't know, Macy." Rarity said sternly. "I appreciate that you do. It's nice that not everyone hates me and distrusts me right now, but... Our friendship grew over years... decades, really. I grew into the goddess you see before you now because of her. I was a terrible person. Your family changed me."

Rarity turned to Macy, her eyes solemn. "If anything about my past changes, then everything changes. You never end up here. The Charmed Ones may never get The Power of Three back. The goddess Athena may never turn to wisdom; she may remain brutal and ruthless, helping her family reign in blood and terror. I chose the name Rarity for myself because... it is not often that my people change the way I have, Macy. You've seen how Harry distrusts me. It's not without good reason. This, Macy... this is the price we talked about when we first met. This knowledge. It's the weight you'll have to carry. You cannot tell them. No matter what happens."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Macy asked, confused.

"You'll know soon enough."

Macy sighed, falling back so she could walk beside Harry. 

"What was that about?" He asked, gesturing toward Rarity.

"Hmm?" Macy asked, still lost in her thoughts. "Oh, I just wanted to talk to her about something Marisol said."

"Oh," Harry nodded. "You know we can't trust her, right?"

"No, Harry," Macy sighed. "I don't. And I don't think you know who we can trust, either. I'm tired of pretending like any of us know anything. I think we're all just wandering around, as lost and blind as we are down here." She held up her wrist, waving her bracelet at him. "Hell, this thing seems to have a better read on things than I have, lately. Maybe it's just time we finally admit to ourselves that we aren't as smart as we think we are."

Harry stopped dead in his tracks, dumbfounded. Mel and Maggie caught up, looking at him curiously.

"What's up, Harry?"

"Nothing," he said, shaking his head. "I just think... she is absolutely right."

"Right about what?"

"Just..." Harry sighed. "I don't know. So much of what we've done lately has gone completely tits up."

"Harry!" Maggie said, looking at him in shock.

"What?" He returned her look questioningly. "Oh. Maggie, it's... a British-ism. It means... wonky. Bad. Anyway. I just... maybe when we get home, we need to step back and try to... look at things differently?"

______________________________________________________

They'd been walking through the caverns for some time when Mel paused.

"This is going to sound crazy," Mel said, holding up her hand to get everyone's attention. "But I feel like we need to go this way?" She pointed in the direction she was feeling drawn.

"That doesn't sound crazy at all," Macy said, moving back toward her sister. "When I was with mom, she said that these talismans would call to us when we were near them. If this one is for you, it might be calling to you. If you're feeling a pull, we should follow it."

"Okay," Mel said, nodding. "I guess I'm leading the way now."

The group followed Mel as she lead the way through the caverns, until they came upon a door that had been cut into one of the stone walls.

"This isn't odd at all," Mel said as she ran her hands over the metal panel.

"Mmm" Rarity muttered, coming to stand beside her. "This looks like a cellar door? Evidence of the time slip, perhaps?"

"Should we go through?" Maggie asked.

"Obviously..."

Rarity reached out and turned the handle, pushing the door. It opened onto a large, circular conservatory with a grand, upside-down oak tree hanging from the center of the ceiling. Suspended in a single beam of light that stretched from the top of the tree to the floor of the conservatory was a golden necklace with 3 pieces of amber embedded in the collar.

"Woah," Maggie said as she stepped out onto the ledge overlooking the tree and the rest of the room below.

"Now this," Mel said, looking at the tree with wide eyes. "This is definitely the tree from the Book of Elders."

"Does that mean... are we in the Command Center right now?" Macy asked, looking around for anything familiar.

"Somewhere below it, I'd think." Harry said softly. "If the pillars were built upon the roots of this tree."

There were strange wisps of light dancing around the room, occasionally coalescing to form shapes: people walking around, talking, acting out brief moments of their life.

"What are they?" Mel asked.

"Memories, fragments..." Rarity trailed off, looking to see if there was a way down into the main chamber. "Pieces of uncontrolled time magic leaking free. I'd be careful not to come in contact with any of them. I don't think they can see or interact with us, but... just to be safe."

"Are they all from here?" Macy asked, thinking out loud. "I wonder if any of them are us?"

"It's possible," Rarity said. "But I suggest if any of you do see yourselves, you look away. Knowing your own future isn't advisable. Here, I think I've found a good place to climb down!"

Rarity unwound a long length of rope that she'd had wrapped around her torso, handing one end to Harry.

"Here, you find something to tie this to," She said as she began fashioning a harness out of the other end.

"Did you have that this whole time?" Maggie looked astonished.

"I always bring a rope," Rarity said, rolling her eyes.

They each scaled down the wall, one by one, until they reached the floor of the conservatory. They circled the tree slowly, careful to avoid both the wisps, and the pools of Black Amber dripping from the tree.

"So... what?" Mel said, looking at the necklace suspended in the light. "I just... take the necklace?"

"It's never that simple," Harry said softly.

"Always beware the cost," Macy repeated, looking between her sisters, Harry and Rarity. "That's what Marisol said when I was with her in the Underworld. She said to always remember the cost, or keep in mind the cost... something like that."

"It's what I was trying to tell you earlier," Rarity said. "We had to pass through the dwarves territory to get here. Specifically, Norse Dwarves. We had to pay a price of 4 betrayals. All related to love. This necklace is Amber and Gold. I think it's Brisingamen."

"I don't understand," Harry said, looking confused. "That's Freya's necklace. She's the Norse goddess of love, beauty and... I... what does any of that have to do with restoring Mel's Time powers? This doesn't make any sense."

Rarity started laughing hysterically. It was a high-pitched, unhinged sound that echoed around the room. She was laughing so hard that she had to move to brace herself against one of the walls.

"It makes so much sense now," she said, gasping as she tried to catch her breath.

"Rarity," Macy said slowly, "are you alright?"

"Oh," Rarity wiped a few tears that had leaked from the corner of her eyes away. "I'm fine, Macy. Just, ah, I feel so stupid for not putting the pieces together sooner, is all."

She let out another manic little chuckle, then took a deep breath and sighed.

"Sorry about that," Rarity exhaled once more. "This necklace. This necklace comes with a nasty curse. Freya betrayed her entire family for this stupid thing, and they allowed her to remain a member of the family, for a price. So... whatever you do, none of you step into that beam of light. It's really not worth it. Trust me."

"Freya's curse..." Harry muttered to himself, pacing. "What was it? I can't remember..."

"To wander the earth for eternity, searching for her husband," a voice said from the shadows. "A love goddess, always separated from her love, because she betrayed her vow for a pretty bauble."

"Hello, Uncle," Rarity called out to the gathering shadows. "Come to see me off, then?"

"Don't do this," the voice whispered. "We can still bargain."

"Your price was too high," she said, casting a glance towards Macy and giving her a small, knowing smile. She looked up at the sky, scrunching her eyes closed. "I'm strong enough to hold it for the both of us."

"You really think your little blood binding is enough to keep a curse powerful enough for a goddess from transferring to the mortal?" Hades voice came from the shadows.

"I have to try..." Rarity opened her eyes, smiling sadly. "Besides, we already know I've done this. What else explains it? I've carried this curse since the day I was born, Uncle."

"Oh, Athena..."

"I've told you, I don't go by that anymore," Rarity laughed. "I haven't used that name in ages."

"Rarity-" the voice called out once more, as she stepped into the beam of light, grabbing the necklace. 

There was a loud cracking sound through the room. Rarity's hair stood straight out, as she clasped Brisingamen close to her chest, whispering words frantically against the golden necklace.

"I take it this counts as my betrayal, dwarves?" Rarity laughed, tapping her glasses. "Finally choosing a side? Even though you knew-" She let out a bark of bitter laughter. "You knew all along this was the family I'd chose? And they don't even know." She turned her glassy eyes towards Macy, dropping her a quick wink before turning her attention to the necklace in her hands.

"Please," she said, kissing each of the stones, letting her tears fall against them freely. "Let me carry the curse. I deserve to bear it. I have done terrible things in the name of my father. My strategies have lead to the slaughter of millions of innocents, all to serve his victory. I have cursed many innocent souls. Please; she does not deserve your curse. This family does not deserve your curse. Let it flow from her to me. I will carry it for the both of us."

There was a louder crack then, as a bolt of lightening struck the great tree. The entire chamber began to shake. The wall behind Rarity split open, a great red rift appearing. She laughed again, looking up at the sky once more.

"I take it my little gambit worked, then, Dad?" Rarity cried out.

"Is that..." Macy's jaw dropped as she stared into the rapidly opening gate to Tartarus. Harry quickly grabbed her, pulling her back and gesturing for Maggie and Mel to get as far away as possible.

"We have to get out of here! Now!" Mel screamed over the wind that had suddenly started whipping around the room.

"It's fine!" Rarity yelled to them. "You're safe! It's for me!" She laughed bitterly tossing the necklace to Mel. "Catch!"

"What do you mean, it's for you?" Macy yelled across the chamber.

"She went too far," Hades said from the shadows, still not fully showing himself.

"Dad's putting me in goddess time out," Rarity said, looking at the crack in the wall. "I told you, Tartarus is a prison for immortals." She looked back over her shoulder at the gang, tears streaming freely down her face. "I was never going to betray you. I..." she made a frustrated little scream, shaking her head. Rarity sniffled, wiping back some tears before considering her next words.

"We've still got some adventures ahead of us, Charmed Ones. Mel... The next time you see me, show me that ring. I won't know why you have it, but I'll help you, no questions asked. It's been great knowing you. In the future, when you remember this moment... know that I have no regrets. Don't think for one second that I'm not going somewhere I don't deserve to be. See you around, little Time Witch."

With that, she started towards the rift. Just before stepping in, she turned around towards Hades and added:

"Uncle, maybe call Aunt Hestia and have her send a guardian to this place? I don't think mortals should be stumbling around finding this place. Seems dangerous."

With that, she was gone.

The wind died down almost instantly, leaving them standing in the chamber. The wisps were gone, as was Hades. Mel looked down at the necklace in her hands, turning it slowly to examine it. It seemed to change as she looked at it, shifting from an ornate, old fashioned collar to something that matched her current western wear.

"She just... sacrificed herself... for this..." Mel said, putting the necklace on. "She sacrificed herself for us. Why would she do that?"

Macy bit her lip and looked away, reaching down to play with her bracelet.

"How do we get home?" Macy asked, not trying to minimize the loss, but hoping not to give away that she knew exactly why Rarity would sacrifice herself. "There has to be something here that will help us. We're in the right place, but we're still stuck in the past."

Suddenly, Ariadne's Thread jumped to life. It slithered off Macy's wrist and moved to Mel's, startling her. Then, it jumped from Mel to Harry, who spun around, swiping at it furiously.

"I hate bugs! Get it off!"

"It's not a bug, Harry," Macy said quickly. "It's my bracelet."

"What?"

"It's trying to tell us something..." Macy said, going into Scientist Mode. "Mom said... think about all the things thread can do."

"I've never known thread to jump around and try to communicate through pantomime, personally..." Harry said, waving his arms about.

"No..." Macy said, "But it does bind things together. Think, Harry. If Mel has her Time powers back, even if she doesn't have a handle on the time travel part yet, there is still the potential for that somewhere in her. And you have to ability to orb. The thread is jumping from her to you, so what if it is trying to tell us it can help you tap into her powers and orb us through time and space? Mom said that with Ariadne's Thread, I would always be able to find my way home. It's just... trying to help me get home."

Harry looked thoughtful for a moment as he examined the thread.

"Yes," he said, nodding. "Yes, that makes sense. It's worth trying, at least."

The four of them gathered in a circle, taking each other's hands. As soon as Mel and Harry's hands connected, Ariadne's Thread jumped from Macy's wrist and moved to theirs, forming an infinity loop that bound them together. Harry's eyebrows shot up as he gave Macy a "Well, I'm impressed," look.

"Alright," Harry said, taking a deep breath. "Let's give this a try. Everyone, think of 2019. You, especially, Mel."

With that, he focused on orbing them to the Command Center a few moments after they left it. It took more effort than usual, but soon enough they all felt the familiar tug behind their navels and they were being pulled through space together. When they rematerialized, they were back in SafeSpace Seattle.

"Oh my gosh," Maggie exclaimed, "It worked." She stumbled over to the Witchboard, collapsing on the rolling chair. "I know Rarity really screwed up the last couple of days, but... she came through there at the end for us, and... no one deserves to go to Tartarus, guys. I feel really bad for her. Oh, I still get first dibs on the shower."

Macy sat heavily on the stairs, putting her head in her hands. Harry sat down next to her, pushing lightly into her shoulder with his. When she glanced at him, he held up her bracelet, which had gone a kind of tarnished bronze color. He dropped it into her palm.

"I believe this is yours," he said, grimacing.

"What happened to it?" Macy pouted. It looked like a regular bracelet now, with a clasp and everything.

"That was quite a trick it just pulled," He said hopefully. "It's possible it just needs time to recharge. I'd keep wearing it if I were you. Keep it close."

"I hope you're right," Macy said, stroking the chain. "Poor little guy. Thanks for getting us home."

"Speaking of home," Harry said, standing up and offering Macy his hand. "How are we going to get past the denizens of SafeSpace without notice, in our current state? I'm afraid my powers are tapped out for the moment, so I won't be able to orb us back to the house."

"I guess now is as good a time as any to see if my old powers are back," Mel said. "I can try freezing everyone; if it works, we won't have to worry about sneaking past them."

"Excellent idea, Mel."

They exited the Command Center, hanging back to avoid being spotted while Mel worked her magic.

"Here goes nothing," she said, throwing her hands out. Everyone in SafeSpace froze in place. "It worked!" Mel exclaimed, pumping her fists in the air. Maggie did a little victory dance in the background.

"What the fuck?" Jordan's voice rang out from his gym upstairs.

"Jordan didn't freeze?" Maggie's mouth fell open as she looked around at her sisters and Harry. "Oh my god, Jordan didn't freeze."

Maggie ran out of the alcove they were hiding in, putting both hands up and plastering a giant grin on her face as she looked up at where Jordan was standing at the top of the stairs.

"Jordan! Hi!"

"Maggie?" Jordan tilted his head, looking confused. "What are you wearing?"

"Long story. I promise I will buy you lunch soon, and I will explain everything to you, including this," she waved her hands around, indicated all the frozen people. "But for now, can you please just go back to wherever you were when everyone froze, and just... pretend like it didn't happen when everyone comes back?"

"What is going on?"

"I swear to you I will explain, but right now, Jordan, I am so disgusting and I just need to take a shower and go to sleep, so can you please just... put a pin in it for, like, 12 hours?" Maggie begged.

Jordan sighed, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Fine," he said. "But you better buy me one hell of a lunch, Maggie."

As he wandered back to the gym, Maggie turned back to her family and mouthed, "how did he not freeze?" They just shrugged. It was yet to another Jordan mystery for another time.

As the door to SafeSpace swung shut behind them and time resumed, Swan lifted one of the paper cups from her sample tray and threw it back, swallowing the contents in one neat shot.

"I can't believe they are the ones in charge of defending all of magic," she grumbled to herself, crumpling the cup and tossing it in the garbage. She took a deep breath, lifted her tray, and turned to a group of people. "Would you like to try some kombucha? It'll make you feel like the last 5 minutes didn't even happen! You'll love it!"

_________________________________________________________

Maggie was sitting at the kitchen table, wiggling her toes happily in her cozy socks while Harry made tea for everyone.

"Mmmm," she practically purred to herself. "You have no idea how amazing it feel to be clean, Harry. To be in clean clothes. This is better than sex; it's better than magic; it's better than coffee."

Harry laughed from where he was standing with his back to her at the counter; he hadn't gotten to the shower yet (ladies first), but he had scrubbed off the worst of the dirt with the garden hose in the back yard before he'd started tea, and changed out of his grimy clothes and into a plain white t-shirt and black sweat pants.

"Well, I suppose I'll have to wait until Melonie has finished with her ablutions to find out for myself," he chuckled. "until then, I will have to console myself with the simple pleasure of a well prepared cuppa."

"Well, I would not say no to one of those," Macy said as she joined Maggie at the kitchen table. Harry smiled, handing her a cup and saucer. 

"I've missed this," Macy said, looking between Maggie and Harry. "How long has it been since we've just sat in this kitchen together? It feels like forever."

"It does, doesn't it?" Maggie said, reaching out to grab a cookie to nibble on. "We just need Mel to get her butt out of the shower and have a real family breakfast."

"Ah," Harry said, sitting down with his cup of tea. "I do still want to get my own shower, thank you very much. I wasn't going to wait 3 hours for tea, but that doesn't mean-"

"Excuse me," Macy said, shooting him a look. "I did not take an hour in the bathroom."

"I didn't say you did," Harry said, eyeballing Maggie.

"Hey!" Maggie said, kicking him with one of her sock feet.

When Mel finally joined them, Harry excused himself from the table, scurrying off to claim the shower.

"We really need to find a spell to add on a bathroom to this place," Maggie said.

"Personal gain, Maggie," Mel and Macy said in tandem. 

"Oh, come on," Maggie complained. "There has to be some kind of exception when you've got 4 adults living in one house."

"Yeah," Mel said, grabbing a cookie and chomping on it mindlessly. "It's called saving up enough money to hire a contractor and building one, Mags."

"Uh, boring."

Mel was absently twisting Brisingamen with her right hand. She was wearing a band t-shirt and sweats, and now the necklace just looked like a simple gold chain with small amber studs.

"That's so cool, by the way," Maggie said, pointing at the necklace. "Your bling changes to coordinate with your outfit."

"Huh?" Mel said, distractedly. 

"Are you okay, Mel?" Macy asked, reaching out to touch her hand.

"Yeah," Mel said, looking at her sister, her eyes full of questions. "I just... I don't know how to explain it. I feel like... something's gone? But... that doesn't make any sense? I don't know, Macy. I just don't know."

"Like... deja vu?" Maggie prompted.

"Maybe."

"We'll figure it out, Mel," Macy said, squeezing her sister's hand.

"Yeah," Mel said, but she didn't look like she believed her.

____________________________________________________

The streets of New York were strangely deserted as Harry approached the spot where he'd felt drawn. Macy's words had been echoing in his head all day, especially after Rarity's unexpected sacrifice. Maybe he had been approaching this all wrong. Maybe there was another way forward. He pulled his jacket tighter around himself as he moved toward the man whose back was to him.

"Why are you here, Harry?" The Darklighter asked, still not turning to face him.

"I thought we could talk," Harry said, trying to stay calm.

"Ah," Jimmy chuckled to himself. "That's a new approach. May I ask what brought about this change of heart?"

"Something Macy said while we were..." Harry paused. "Actually, I don't think we're there, yet."

"Ha, almost got you!" Jimmy said, spinning around to face Harry. He was toying with a wickedly sharp dagger. He dropped his eyes to it, then back up to Harry, shrugging. "As you can see, I don't exactly trust you, either, Brother." The last word was positively dripping with contempt as he spoke it.

"Still," Harry continued. "Perhaps we could lower our weapons and come to some sort of agreement? Temporary truce, at least?"

"Well," Jimmy smirked. "The first part of your proposal is going to be impossible, seeing as my entire being is a weapon, Harry."

Harry rolled his eyes, gesturing at the dagger.

"Sharp objects, at least?"

Jimmy laughed, slipping the dagger up his sleeve.

"Best I can do, I'm afraid."

Harry nodded as he moved cautiously closer to Jimmy, the two of them circling each other slowly, like sharks.

"So, what is it you want, Harry?" Jimmy prompted.

"To find out if there is anything else we have in common," Harry gestured at his face. "Besides this, of course. And a vague memory of an irrelevant past."

"And dear Macy," Jimmy bit the corner of his mouth fondly.

"You really need to stay away from her, Jimmy," Harry said, sounding tired.

"Why would I do that?"

"Because," Harry stopped walking for a moment, looking serious. "All you are capable of is hurting her. And if you love her like I think you do, that's the last thing you want."

Jimmy paused, swallowing.

"Hmm," he said, looking thoughtful. He moved closer to Harry. "You know, you might be right. We probably do need to talk, and... I do think we might be good for each other." Jimmy nodded, looking Harry straight in the eyes. He looked earnest, but there was also something else there.

"There's just one problem; someone else got to me first."

With that, Jimmy slipped the dagger free from his sleeve and plunged it deep into Harry's chest, twisting it before pulling it free.

"Sorry, Bro," Jimmy said with a shrug. "My master felt you coming here, too."

As Harry disappeared into white mist, something shifted in Jimmy's face; it transformed with grief. He collapsed to his knees in front of a figure that stepped from the shadows.

"Why did you make me do that?" Jimmy gasped. "I feel... I feel... so much... guilt! It's too much!" He choked out, grasping at his chest.

"Good," the figure said, reaching down to clasp their hand on his shoulder. "Maybe now you'll be able to heal for me, you useless creature."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Harry is not Dead. He's just returned to his grave, like he did in Episode One. Don't kill me. ;) He'll be back, with nothing but sore feelings that his gesture of good will blew up in his face.
> 
> That's a wrap on Rarity/Athena. What did you think of her character? I'm leaving her and Mel's relationship ambiguous in case I want to revisit it later.  
> -behind the scenes on my thoughts-  
> Rarity isn't dead, and who is to say how Tartarus effects a goddess vs. mortals. She chose the Charmed Ones over her Godly Family, and that had big consequences for her, but she erased any remnants of curse that Mel may have had on her so that she can go on to have a happy love life in the future, with whomever she chooses (I keep saying, man, that girl has the worst luck in her love life. She must be cursed! So I decided to run with it, and fix it).
> 
> Thank you to everyone who has left Kudos and Comments. You have no idea how much it means to me. Your kind words and all the thoughts you have shared with me while reading have made me so happy. Please, keep sharing with me. I love hearing what you have to say.


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